WASHINGTON — A new study released by the National Safety Council (NSC) determined that traffic fatalities in 2008 were at a record low, with improved vehicle safety features cited as one of the significant contributing factors. NSC reported that the estimated annual death rate from motor vehicle-related accidents was 13 deaths per 100,000 people, a nine percent decrease from 2007 and the lowest rate recorded since the NSC began publishing its annual Injury Facts statistical report in the 1920s. The mileage death rate for 2008 was 1.38 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, a four percent decrease from 2007.
While several factors were cited for the lower death rate – such as public education, greater visibility, enforcement of safety laws and fewer miles driven – the NSC acknowledged that improved vehicle safety features played an important role.
The steel and automotive industries have worked together over the past two decades to improve vehicle safety by incorporating advanced high-strength steels in the design of the bodies, frames, suspensions, closures (doors, hoods and decklids), side impact beams and seat belts. High-strength steels are also being used in powertrain components such as forged steel crankshafts and connecting rods, enhancing engine durability.
"No doubt you’ve seen car commercials that emphasize the safety advantages of advanced high-strength steels," Ron Krupitzer, vice president of automotive applications for the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), said. "During the 1990s, occupant safety became a leading concern for car buyers. Today, consumers rank performance on standardized crash tests as important as quality, styling, ride and handling and fuel economy when considering a car purchase. While designers have always recognized the strength and affordability of steel, when it comes to crashworthiness, steel’s special ability to become stronger as it deforms in a collision adds to the protection of the occupants.
"Today’s modern steels are many times stronger than previous mild steels and actually enable vehicle structures to be both safe and mass efficient," Krupitzer added. "Less mass in a car means better fuel efficiency. So essentially, the steel in your car is protecting both your life and your wallet."
Krupitzer said that recent studies by Ducker Research demonstrate that advanced high-strength steels are the fastest-growing materials in today’s new vehicles.
