Its no wonder so many states have adopted seat belt laws, as thousands of lives have been saved by them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 15,383 lives were saved in 2006 as the result of seat belt use. Airbags have also made an impact on the lives of drivers.

Auto makers haven't stopped there. There are a several auto features that have become more prevalent as autos have become safer.

"We have the possibility of preventing crashes from happening altogether," says Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a leading safety-research group supported by the insurance industry. "That's where things are moving."

One feature that has become a common feature among new vehicles is anti-lock brake systems. Many drivers have become accustomed to holding their brake pedal down in the case of an emergency, rather than "pumping" their brake as they once had to in older model vehicles. ABS brakes apply intermittent pressure to the brake, thus preventing brakes from locking up.

Electronic stability control can sense upcoming slides and skids and will apply brake pressure where needed to get the auto back under the control of the driver.

Another life-saving feature is the lane departure warning system. This feature monitors a driver's position on the road and alerts drivers when they swerve into other lanes. This feature is important because many drivers hit the road while drowsy or tired, an unsafe act that leads to 100,000 reported auto accidents each year.

A similar feature is the forward collision warning system. Distracted or drowsy drivers can be alerted to a potential accident by sensors that measure the distance between an automobile the vehicle in front of it.

Tire pressure monitoring systems can alert drivers to tires that may have lost air. Once filled to their proper levels, tires can better grip the road and provide a safer ride.

Rear parking sensors and rear cameras are features that can help drivers see and avoid people or objects behind the vehicle.

"At least 50 children are injured weekly, and at least two children die every week from injuries sustained when a vehicle backed over them," says Janette E. Fennel, founder and president of Kids and Cars, an advocate for child safety laws and technology for automobiles.

But, even these technologies cannot prevent some accidents.

Side-impact and side-curtain airbags add to the safety of front-impact airbags, protecting the heads and chests of auto passengers in the event of a side-impact accident.

And parents should make sure to properly install child safety seats. Seats that are not properly installed can cause injury or even death, even in accidents that would otherwise be non-fatal.