subject: Vehicle Safety Standards Through The Years [print this page] Car accidents have occurred ever since the combustion engine took over from the traditional method of horsepower - literal horsepower. When traveling at such high speeds, accidents are unavoidable, but, the risk for injury or death can be reduced. The number of deaths on American roads was increasing with the development of the automobile. As the designers and engineers made the vehicles faster and more people were driving more accidents occurred resulting in numerous injuries and traffic deaths.
Something had to be done to protect the public from themselves. Cars had simply become too dangerous. The government stepped in a created the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. In order to reduce traffic accidents and the number of injuries and deaths, regulators were required to establish federal motor vehicle safety standards. The primary reason for the standards was to protect citizens against "unreasonable risk of accidents occurring as a result of the design, construction or performance of motor vehicles." That set the stage for a regime of safety regulation that continues to this day.
Brake Lights
One way to avoid having a traffic accident is to know the intentions of the other drivers in daylight and in darkness or other reduced visibility. Standard No. 108 - Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment is the standard that specifies the requirement for illumination on a vehicle. Lights are used to signal other drivers of your intentions, the brake light shows when you are slowing down and coming to a stop while the turn signals let the other drivers know you are turning left or right or changing lanes. The headlights reduce traffic crashes by providing sufficient illumination of the roadway.
Seatbelts
In an effort to reduce the number of people being ejected from a vehicle in a crash seat belts with shoulder harnesses were one of the first safety features required in new vehicles. States gradually began making seat belt use mandatory in 1984, by doing so accident injuries and fatalities declined.
Airbags
While safety innovations developed, more were being mandated as standard features in new vehicles. One example is the airbag, dating back to the 1950's. A patented automotive version was designed by John Hetrick in 1952 hoping to provide his family with extra protection in a crash. By the early 1970's General Motors and Ford were offering air bags but the lack of consumer demand made the companies drop them. Then in 1985 Mercedes-Benz made air bags standard on all their models. Year's later driver airbags were mandatory in the U.S. on 1989 vehicles and the passenger airbag was mandatory in the 1998 model year.
Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970. This regulatory body implements the federal laws anticipated to protect the environment. Exhaust emissions regulations for every passenger car and light-duty truck sold in the United States was set forth by the EPA. Over the course of several years Congress has approved the EPA's automotive emissions regulation through amendments to the Clean Air Act. The intention behind all the amended regulations is the idea that tighter control over tailpipe emissions leads to cleaner air.
