Davis Law Group, P.S.

The History of Auto & Highway Safety

Back in the 1960s there weretypically more than 50,000 auto accident and truck accident highway deaths per year.  That is when the Federal government and lawmakers took over the safety agenda for highways and automobiles.

Back then cars were death traps.   Most didn't have seatbelts.  And the ones that did were basically a very minimal seat belt, just the lap belt with no shoulder belt. There was no such thing as air bags.And cars did not have adequate space and protection compartment between the engine and the driver.

Consumer safety advocates like Ralph Nader lead the charge for safer cars.  Lawmakers passed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1966 and the Highway Safety Act the next year. The laws set up new agencies to monitor automobile and highway safety data, issue regulations and mandate changes in auto and highway design. Congress began to withhold highway infrastructure funding to those states that did not comply. The federal government eventually demanded everything seat belts in all new automobiles to the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit.