Car crash fatality chances down in some cases

Improved vehicle designs, safety technology helped reduced risk

Car crash survival chances are improving in some cases.

Safety researchers say the chances of dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years.

And nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles.

The Insurance institute for Highway Safety says improved vehicle designs and safety technology helped reduced risk, but there were other factors too.

But the gap between safest and riskiest models remains wide.