Americans appear to be driving more safely and they chalked up some encouraging numbers in 1998. There were only 1.6 deaths per 100 million miles driven last year -- the lowest rate ever, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• Altogether, 41,480 people lost their lives on the nation's roads in 1998 -- the lowest total in four years.

• Americans drove an unprecedented 2.6 trillion miles last year.

• Alcohol was involved in 15,936 deaths -- or 38.4 percent of the total, the lowest level since the government started compiling statistics in 1975.

• The number of people killed in crashes involving trucks dropped 1.8 percent -- to 5,302 from a record 5,398 in 1997.

Total 1998 fatalities are 19 percent lower than they were in 1979, when 51,093 people lost their lives on the nation's highways.

Source: Scott Bowles, "Traffic Deaths at Record Lows," USA Today, May 28, 1999.

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