Two factors stand out for me when it comes to front-line losses:
1. INAS/GPS and decent nav kit in general. Trying to navigate at 250' and 450kts in iffy weather and at the same time, keeping a good look out and operating the aircraft, all while avoiding bumping into the ground/masts/the Shobdon magnet etc used up an awful lot of a young chap's capacity - sometimes all of it. Taking the "where the heck (or similar) are we/am I?" out of the equation must've freed up enough spare capacity to save a few lives over the years.
2. Aircraft are getting easier to fly. Firstly, this is a good thing. Secondly, this isn't a "we were real pilots in my day" rant from a silly old duffer. Aircraft like the Jaguar, F-4, early marks of Harrier, and many others, had a limited tolerance for mishandling, which could and did kill crews. Modern jets, with their incidence-limiting systems and carefree handling FBW fits are less likely to bite.
That said, to quote the Tiger Club, "All aircraft bite fools." Some things never change.