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The History of Automotive Safety

Over the course of the automobiles history it has seen advances in virtually every aspect. One of the most important aspects that has seen technological advances is in safety.

Seat Belts

The idea for seat belts in automobiles was first proposed by Dr. C. Hunter Sheldon, who believed that their inclusion would greatly reduce the chances for serious injury or death. The first manufacture to offer seat belts was the Nash Motor company in 1949. The Ford Motor company would go on to follow the example set by Nash and began offering Seat belts as an open in a variety of their automobiles. In 1958 Saab Automobile AB became the first manufacture to offer seat belts as standard with the introduction of their GT 750.

Airbags

An airbag is an inflatable bag that is designed to cushion occupants in the event of a crash. When triggered airbags inflate rapidly at filling with air and deploying between 100-200 mph. They are made out of a woven nylon in order to provide both strength and cushioning. John W. Hetrick is credited with the idea for airbags in automobile and received a patent for the idea in 1952. The first real implementation of airbags was in 1970's. During this time Ford Motor company as well as General Motors began installing airbags in their automobiles, however these were meant for government officials. The first automobile to be offered to the public with airbags was the Oldsmobile Tornado. Not only was it the first commercially available automobile to included driver airbag it also offered a passenger airbag.

Backup Camera

A backup camera is a camera that is placed at the rear of an automobile to allow the driver to see behind his/herself better. It is not intended to replace the need to look back physically or a rear-view mirror, but rather to accompany it. While only becoming mandatory on automobiles produced in 2019 the concept has been around since the 1950's. In 1956 Buick unveiled the Centurion a concept car that included a television camera mounted at the back of the vehicle.