Also down was the number of passengers killed in highway crashes.

The legislation, which now moves to the House, comes after a year in which 45,600 people were killed in highway crashes, a 4 percent increase over 1985.

"How could that happen in a highway crash?"

Also notable is a highway crash involving a truckload of potatoes.

Accidents in fog account for only a small part of total traffic deaths, but are among the largest highway crashes.

Dave Zien logged more than 2 million miles riding motorcycles before being critically injured in a violent highway crash in Florida.

The safety board, which said it does not investigate many highway crashes, hoped to have the on-scene part of its investigation completed within a week.

Lentini had some unimpressive performances as he returned to action last month after recovering from a near-fatal highway crash last August.

The institute's tests represent more realistic highway crashes and are more of a test of the body structure as well as the restraint system.

Mr. Avendano, a newspaper editor and publisher, was injured in a highway crash last month.