Results speak louder than the printed intentions. While I do have to admit, the anecdotal evidence of late in my neighborhood seems to suggest that power failures are fewer and further apart, it is clear that the infrastructure in my neighborhood is still subject to complete collapse by a flock of passing hummingbirds.
The delivered voltage to my house fluctuates all day long. The condition of the wires, poles and transformers is clearly worn. There is no redundancy within the transmission system and maintenance before a failure is a rarity. Aluminum wiring connected to copper wiring, almost zero grounding, a shared common neutral wire for an entire neighborhood, the list of deficiencies and poor practices goes on and on. Saying that things have improved a bit may be true but there is so far to go it won't be completed in my lifetime. Current practices still are not inherently safe for the consumer - people still get electrocuted from time to time walking down the street or in their homes. Sometimes, it's their own faulty but most of the time poor equipment, dangerous practices and zero electrical inspection/standards is squarely to blame.
