There is an interesting table at http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar...
"Highway safety then and now"
Registered vehicles: 1959 - 71.5 million 2008 - 255 million
Miles driven: 1959 - 700 billion 2008 - 2.9 trillion
Fatalities: 1959 - 37,910 2008 - 37,261