Why are fatal car accident cases declining in the U.S.?

Car accidents causing death on U.S. roads have decreased this year; some sources report that these accidents are at their lowest since 1954. Full statistics for 2009 are not yet available, but if this pattern continues, it will mark the fourth straight year that traffic deaths have declined. 

More surprising to officials is the fact that as the numbers of vehicles on the roads rise, the numbers of deaths have decreased!  Why is this?

Current campaigns like "Click it or ticket" and "Over the limit, Under Arrest" are thought to be part of the success in reducing wrongful death claims. Both were designed to increase seatbelt wearers, and decrease drunk driving, respectively. Other factors include safer vehicle designs, standard, and side curtain airbags as well as child safety seats.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will continue promoting these campaigns, but has also begun a new campaign against distracted driving, which is an increasingly dangerous and common phenomenon. Oprah Winfrey has taken up the mantle as well. She’s created a pledge in which signers promise that their vehicles are "No Phone Zones". That means neither talking nor texting while driving is acceptable. Thus far, hundreds of thousands of people have signed the pledge. With Oprah’s conceptualization and endorsement, it’s turning into a nationwide campaign.