[el_don_almighty]

Vehicle design or operator usage?

Do new cars appear to be safer because new car owners drive more defensively?

Perhaps bad drivers can only afford old cars and smash them up?

Data is a slippery fish

[dalyons]

No? I mean there might be some of that (although I doubt it), but you can just look at test data which has nothing to do with the driver. Crash tests, rollovers, crushing , glancing, etc all dramatically safer with modern improvements.