Where did all this "stupid" car safety stuff come from?

[1930fordpickup]

The turning head lamp that I saw was on a Packard at a resto shop. Not sure of the year other than 30'S , what a beautiful car. I was told it was an option now I know it was an after market option.

[Art Anderson]

Pilot Ray...exactly what I used to install on the big expensive "real" classics when I was in the resto end of the biz.

Far as the sealed beam thing goes, because the Fed regs specified "sealed beam" headlamps once they were finally adopted, the vastly superior separate-bulb halogen lamps the Europeans were using were illegal here for many years.

I have been ticketed eons ago for running Lucas, Cibie and Marchal halogens on my own cars when they were still verboten.

Actually, Federal regulations as to automobile headlights didn't happen until the middle 1960's--prior to that they were on a state-by-state basis--some states allowed non-sealed beams, others did not (wonder how they dealt with all the pre-1940 cars that were still on the road with old fashioned bulb headlights?). But yes, the likes of Lucas and Cibie' were illegal in most states--it was a matter of law enforcement either ignoring them, or stopping cars so equipped.

Art

[Joe Handley]

Kinda curious where the whole 55w/65w rule came from as well as why all of such restrictions were put in place at all.

[johnbuzzed]

While these are all neato keen feats of technology, their having a "huge impact" is debatable, from my own perspective anyway. I've been driving over 50 years, much of the time in very high performance and/or evil handling vehicles...none of which were equipped with any of these bells and whistles...and so far, I haven't hit anything. Knock on wood.

Vastly improved crash/crush performance (absorbing energy with the vehicle structure's progressive collapse) and airbags (protecting the occupants from impact with objects and surfaces inside the vehicle, and managing the decelerative forces on heads to reduce secondary brain injuries) have indeed had a "huge" impact.

Far as some of the other "safety" systems go, I will always feel they are compensating for inattentive, unskilled drivers who shouldn't really be operating vehicles anyway.

If you slow down in the rain, allow plenty of space between you and the next vehicle, actually have some clue as to how control a vehicle (beyond standing on the brakes and blowing the horn in an emergency situation), match your speed to the weather, traffic and road conditions in general, and above all...PAY ATTENTION...then radar/computer controlled brakes and complex "accident avoidance systems" are entirely unnecessary.

All the "safety" stuff sends a message that taking personal responsibility for intelligently driving your vehicle is not required, and that the technology will save you when you do something really really stupid.

The old phrase I've heard over and over and over..."the car wrecked"...says it all.

Being alert, paying attention, no distractions, etc, is all well and good. Until some yutz runs a red light or a stop sign or crosses the divider or drives the wrong way, into oncoming traffic. Those neat electronic gizmos won't help any in those circumstances, but all of the basic safety items- crumple zones, airbags and seat belts, collapsible columns, etc- which we take for granted might just save one's life in such a situation.

In my opinion, anyone who gets behind the wheel without buckling up- the most basic safety precaution we, as drivers, have- is not too bright; perhaps, society should allow the gene pool to be culled in such a manner. Such a blase attitude killed Dale Earnhardt.

Edited April 6, 2015 by johnbuzzed

[dieseldog1970]

Texting and driving....I see this on a daily basis in my travels working for the city....and quite a few people yakking on their phone as well. I have many co-workers who as soon as they are able...checking their phones...one guy basically lives on FB, but we have a company policy that has a zero tolerance for cell phone use while driving...you get a free day off!!! It is a good thing that GM now has wi-fi in all their new models....that will definately stop people from staying off their phones!!!!

Edited April 6, 2015 by dieseldog1970

[bbowser]

Poor driver education is the main culprit. Most cars today are appliances, nothing more.

[Aaronw]

Not sure if people are looking at the article or not but it includes photos of some of these quirky cars if you haven't had a peak.

I kind of liked Ford's entry, a bigger, heavier LTD with hydraulic bumpers.

Kinda curious where the whole 55w/65w rule came from as well as why all of such restrictions were put in place at all.

DOT spec headlights are terrible, the light is blotchy and it creates a lot of glare to other drivers. I've got an older car with sealed beams, so I replaced them with a set of Hella composites (separate bulb inside a lens as you find on modern cars). They look identical to a sealed beam, use the required 55/65w bulb, but the lens is made to European specs, not DOT. The difference is amazing, much better light on the road and reduced glare to oncoming traffic.

[Casey]

DOT spec headlights are terrible, the light is blotchy and it creates a lot of glare to other drivers. I've got an older car with sealed beams, so I replaced them with a set of Hella composites (separate bulb inside a lens as you find on modern cars). They look identical to a sealed beam, use the required 55/65w bulb, but the lens is made to European specs, not DOT. The difference is amazing, much better light on the road and reduced glare to oncoming traffic.

I've always used the Hella conversion headlamps on my "classic" vehicles, too, and the difference is amazing. A fairly concise description/comparison of U.S. DOT spec vs. Euro here: http://www.rallylights.com/vision-plus-vs-ece

[Quick GMC]

While these are all neato keen feats of technology, their having a "huge impact" is debatable, from my own perspective anyway. I've been driving over 50 years, much of the time in very high performance and/or evil handling vehicles...none of which were equipped with any of these bells and whistles...and so far, I haven't hit anything. Knock on wood.

The brake calipers squeegeeing the rotors dry and the 90 foot reduction in stopping distance would be the difference between a crushed bumper and your face being scraped off the asphalt by the cleanup crew. They were pretty massive improvements in safety that can save lives if a truck blows a tire and comes over 2 lanes and is about to hit you, or and accident you otherwise couldn't stop in time for. Things happen that require assistance even when you are paying attention.

The stuff I am seeing now with the auto parallel park and the lane change warning are pretty absurd though. Some cars even have a doze sensor to let you know when you're falling asleep.

[Aaronw]

Some cars even have a doze sensor to let you know when you're falling asleep.

See that used to be a clip on device you could attach to your hat, now available in your car.

Seriously, they were a little buzzer with some sort of device (probably just a ball bearing) to sense the angle. If your head tipped forward as it would if you started to doze off, the buzzer went off to wake you up. I can remember seeing these for sale at truck stops when I was a kid.

[SSNJim]

They're still out there for $10-15. Google "sleep alarm for drivers". Most look like an behind-the-ear hearing aid.

[slusher]

Right now, an onboard cell-phone / text message disabler would have the greatest impact on saving lives and preventing accidents, particularly among younger drivers.

This is so badly needed. i am all for safety. i live 4 miles from i 40 and hear the sirens and see the wrecked cars and trucks.

[Bob Ellis]

I remember when dad got his new '68 Caprice; almost like the '67.

They recessed all the dash knobs. It was almost impossible to pull the knob for the headlights.

The side marker lights were cool to me. I could tell every new '68 car on the road at night.

The beautiful chrome around the widows inside the '68 Caprice were gone. Paint or plastic.

They door handles were simple now. I never understood how the old ones could hurt anybody.

The beginning of boredom.

[pharoah]

Here's a drawing I did of a 32 Duesenberg. Looks to me like it has the 'Pilot Ray' lights on it.

The front wheels are turned slightly,and so are the driving lights.

[Agent G]

I have found a common mechanical problem exists in nearly every single accident that occurs.

The nut that holds the steering wheel is loose.

G