boair1
There is no reason these days why test flying should be as dangerous as driving to work. The world knows so much more about how aircraft fly, how they should be designed, built and maintained that it did 60 years ago. However the tp needs to be properly trained and educated just like any other professional and especially he (or she) needs plenty of self discipline. Test flying properly carried out is a very dull, hardworking and boring job.
I was in a test flying team once and we went 35 years between fatal accidents but that team of 17 men had 6 children die before they made 30 years old over that period of time (from illness, accident and one suicide)