This conversation encouraged me to look further into the issue of digital (aka "glass cockpit") vs. analog displays in airplane cockpits.

There are always many ways to interpret a single study, and I'm going to look further into this, but I must admit I was surprised to see that a study adopted by the National Transportation Safety Board demonstrated that glass cockpit airplanes have a higher fatal accident rate than similar analog planes:

Washington, DC - Today the National Transportation Safety Board adopted a study concluding that single engine airplanes equipped with glass cockpits had no better overall safety record than airplanes with conventional instrumentation.

The safety study, which was adopted unanimously by the Safety Board, was initiated more than a year ago to determine if light airplanes equipped with digital primary flight displays, often referred to as "glass cockpits," were inherently safer than those equipped with conventional instruments.

The study, which looked at the accident rates of over 8,000 small piston-powered airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006, found that those equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate then similar aircraft with conventional instruments.
More: NTSB Study Shows Introduction Of 'Glass Cockpits' In General Aviation Airplanes Has Not Led To Expected Safety Improvements