Get There Safely: AAA's 2003 Safety Recommendations to Congress. In 1902, the year AAA was founded, there were only 23,000 motor vehicles registered in the United States. Roads were treacherous and driving restrictive.

Today, vehicles number in the millions, but roads are no less treacherous - in fact, an argument could be made that driving is even more dangerous.

For all its advantages, the automobile has taken its toll. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people up to 28 years old.

Read more about highway safety subjects gathered from AAA research:

• Speed Limits
• Road Safety Tips
• AAA's Top 10 Needed Road Improvements

Each year, more than 40,000 Americans die in some 6 million police-reported motor vehicle crashes.

On average, crashes cause the deaths of 114 people each day, one every 13 minutes.

Since its founding a century ago, AAA has worked to make travel safe, comfortable and economical. In the future, AAA will continue that tradition while working to meet the ever-changing needs of its members.

Things AAA does to improve highway safety:

• Work with government officials at local, state and federal levels to improve safety measures such as seat belt and air bag standards and allocate appropriate funding to maintain and improve highways.
• Work with agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on setting safety guidelines.
• Develop driver education programs that emphasize behind-the-wheel training in controlled environments and licensing in graduated stages appropriate to experience levels.
• Publish educational materials to help people understand the importance of seat belts, how to correctly install child safety seats and other safety measures.

Statistics: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.