AIA said the government reported that Americans drove close to one trillion miles in 1968, compared to nearly three trillion in 2008. Despite the increase in the number of miles driven, over the years the motor vehicle traffic fatality rate dropped from 5.19 deaths per-100 million vehicles miles traveled in 1968 to a record-low 1.27 deaths per-100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2008.

Additionally, over the past 20 years the injury rate has dropped from 169 injuries per-100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1988 to 80 injuries per-100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2008.

An AIA official explained that the association calculated that if American's drove the same number of miles back then as they do today, the injury and death toll numbers would have been significantly higher, underscoring how traffic and auto safety improvements have impacted highway safety today.

Hypothetically, if Americans had driven three trillion miles in 1968, the death toll would have stood at 151,812. Underscoring the value of improvements even more, if the number of miles driven were the same in 1988 as in 2008, the number of injuries suffered in 1988 would have been 1.5 million higher than the 3.4 million the NHTSA reported. And, in 1988, there would have been 20,895 more deaths than the 47,087 recorded that year.

"As we head into Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, AIA urges drivers to take extra precautions when traveling to and from their destinations," said David Snyder, AIA vice president and associate general counsel in a statement.

"The insurance industry has always been a strong advocate for safety measures when it comes to automobiles, roads and drivers," said Mr. Snyder. "We will keep pressing the case for increased safety measures, better vehicle designs, seatbelt use, anti-drunk driving measures, graduated licensing, motorcycle helmet use, and electronic enforcement laws so that these fatality and injury rates continue to decline."