Road toll in focus

Statistics don't lie and there's been an 84 per cent reduction in road deaths per 100,000 Australians since 1970.

But debate continues to surround the contributions of improved vehicle technologies versus increased transport legislation in making our roads safer. Transport legislation includes controversial speed camera laws of course, but the improvements afforded by enhanced road design are frequently overlooked, as are education campaigns targeting at-risk drivers.

Here, ComparetheMarket car insurance tracks the impact of both safer vehicles and tighter road rules in a timeline spanning five decades.

So what keeps us safer? Technology? Legislation? Perhaps something else altogether? Make up your own mind.