Highway Safety

The U.S. Government estimated that the highway fatality rate sank to a record low last year. The fatality rate slid from 1.48 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2003 to 1.46 deaths in 2004. It was the lowest since records were first kept in 1966, when the rate was 5.50 deaths. Fifty-six percent of those killed weren't wearing seat belts, a rate unchanged from 2003. NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge said seat belt use is at 80 percent, an all-time high.

Deaths of drivers and passengers in sport utility vehicles were projected to grow from 4,446 in 2003 to 4,666 last year, an increase of 4.9 percent. Rollover fatalities in these popular vehicles increased by 6.9 percent, to 2,821 in 2004.

The number of deaths dropped 2.4 percent for people in passenger cars to 18,987 and fell 2 percent for pickup trucks to 5,787. Among large trucks, the number of people killed grew 3.7 percent to 5,169.

Bottom line: buckle up and stay off the damn phone.