Among the most intriguing discoveries and inventions ever made by man are the automobiles, the car to be particular. For 120 years, cars have been evolving in all aspects, the most important being safety. In fact, the quality and value of a car is pegged on the safety features it possesses.
We take them for granted but early cars had neither headlamps nor windscreens. These inventions were made because of increased accidents due to visibility problems caused by darkness and dust. The headlamps and windscreens were introduced in 1898 and 1926 respectively. Later on, crash tests were developed using dummies. Later, during the 1950s Seat belt was invented – the single most important car safety feature. It took a while before it became a rule that every car be fitted with seat belts Currently, almost, if not all governments, insist that all vehicles be fitted with seat belts .
This period also showed the development of Anti-lock breaking system (ABS), crumple zone or crash space and airbags. These tremendously reduced injuries due to collision impacts. At this time, it was for only the luxurious and prestigious brands. During 1980s,car manufactures, even those producing regular low-end automobiles adopted the airbag and the ABS safety methods. In fact, all vehicles were fitted with these safety methods by 1980s. Inasmuch as these safety interventions reduced the severity of injuries due to road traffic accidents, more needed to be done.
In last decade, the advances in technology have made car safety even more complex yet very efficient. In fact, care safety prospects are now what are used by car manufacturers and dealers to advertise, market and promote their luxury car brands. The current safety initiatives include electronic warnings such as blind spot, lane departure and pedestrian proximity. We are definitely set to see more, even greater safety interventions in the future.
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Source: smithslawyers