Continued improvements in vehicle design and the incorporation of new technologies have increased the level of protection for occupants and other road users when vehicles are involved in crashes. Improvements include better side impact protection, frontal crash protection, padded head areas, seatbelt interlocks, intelligent air bags and pedestrian protection.

The probability of suffering an injury in a car has reduced from 6% for a car manufactured in 1975 to 3% for one manufactured in 2000. From 1970 to 2002 the fatality rate per 10,000 registered vehicles in Australia fell from 8.0 to 1.5.

Vehicle design is regulated by the Motor Vehicle Standards Act (1989) through the Australian Design Rules. These national standards for vehicle safety, antitheft, emission levels and energy saving assess all vehicles newly manufactured in Australia or imported as new vehicles, before they can be supplied to the Australian market.

Benefits from innovative design features and vehicle improvements will continue to accrue as newer, safer vehicles progressively replace older vehicles on our roads.