The Evolution of Car Safety: From Death Traps to Modern Marvels

Most new cars are already really safe from the factory, thanks to modern computers and decades of car design experience. However, this doesn't mean that experience always comes with making mistakes. Computers haven't always existed, and in the early years of automobiles, inventors like Karl Benz weren't concerned about the safety of their creations.

Instead, these early vehicles focused on more important things, like running around without falling apart and getting out of the poop stream of a horse. Just take a look at the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a very early motorized vehicle. This thing is basically a bench on wheels, with an engine strapped on for kicks.

By the early 1900s, more and more people were purchasing cars to replace their horse and carriage. Out of self-preservation, these early cars had some concessions to safety, like brakes and lights. But the brakes were just a stick with some wood that pushed against your wheel, and the lights were less powerful than the one on your phone.

For the most part, safety was left in the hands of the automakers alone. Speed limits were imposed, but they didn't really help. The first cars were more like death traps, and it's a miracle that anyone survived their first drive. However, as the years went by, car safety started to improve.

The introduction of crumple zones was a game-changer in terms of car safety. Car companies built a super-strong center cell around the passenger compartment, while designing the front and rear sections to manage as much impact as possible. This allowed cars to be absolutely mangled after a crash, but the people inside could survive relatively unharmed.

To prove that crumple zones worked, automakers started using crash test dummies borrowed from the aerospace industry. These dummies measured the force of impacts, and while they showed that the center section in the new construction method was sufficiently strong, the restraints on the occupants were not. This led to the introduction of passive restraints, or airbags.

Because a seat belt is always holding you, it's considered active, while the airbag is considered passive, because it deploys only during a crash and may not ever be used. The design and testing methods pioneered in the 1980s led to an exponential improvement in car safety. Cars today are safer than ever, thanks to computers.

In the 1990s and the early 21st century, computers continued to provide the main increase in automotive safety. Now, it's because the computers are fitting inside the cars. Computer-controlled driver aids have mainly consisted of anti-slip traction control systems. They were primitive compared to modern technology, but technology quickly increased.

Cars today are safer than ever, with systems like Tesla's Autopilot and Cadillac's Super Cruise allowing them to guide themselves using onboard sensors and computers for short distances and times under certain conditions. The best part is that if your car kills you in autopilot, you weren't paying attention, so you died peacefully without any fear of imminent death.

As these technologies increase, less and less human intervention will be required. This will not only make for a more relaxed driving experience but also remove the most unpredictable aspect of cars on the road, humans. And that's something to look forward to.

Garage Amino is an app that connects car enthusiasts from all around the world. Garage Amino lets you connect and share pictures, get advice, and use public chatrooms to talk cars and find inspiration for your next dream build. There are blog posts, historical analyses, concept builds, new car reviews, even parts and accessories.

The app is like a car forum on stage three tune. It's got a featured feed of all the best new content and the community is super active, friendly, and welcoming. There's always new stuff to check out, and it's super easy to make posts of your own. Check out Garage Amino, click this big ol' yellow subscribe button, so you never miss an episode of WheelHouse.

If you wanna know more about safety, check out this episode of WheelHouse on speed limits, and if you like safe cars, check out this episode of Up to Speed on Saab. Seriously, wear your seatbelt, I'll see you later.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(upbeat music)- Most new cars are alreadyreally safe from the factory.Things like modern computers,combined with decadesof car design experiencehave made modern carssafer than ever before.But experience doesn't comewithout making mistakes.And computers haven't always existed.Were cars death boxes ofmetal in the early years?Well...(car screeching)Yeah.So how'd we go fromunsurvivable death trapsto the cars we know today?When the first automobilesarrived in the 1880s,inventors like Karl Benz weren't concernedabout the safety of their creations.Instead, these earlyvehicles focused on moreimportant things, like runningaround without falling apart.And getting out of thepoop stream of a horse.(retching)Just take a look at theBenz Patent-Motorwagen,a very early motorized vehicle.This thing is basically a bench on wheels,with an engine strapped on for kicks.By the early 1900s, moreand more of the well-to-dowere purchasing cars to replacetheir horse and carriage.Out of self-preservation, these early carshad some concessions tosafety, like brakes and lights.But the brakes was justa stick with some woodthat pushed against yourwheel and the lightswere less powerful thanthe one on your phone.For the most part though, safety was leftin the hands of the automakers alone.Some speed limits were imposed,but those were more or lessto look out for the people not in cars.With few developed roadsand rudimentary technology,these early cars didn't oftentravel at high speeds anyway.As the technology maturedand companies like Fordstarted to introduce moreefficient construction methods,more people could actuallyafford to buy cars.This increase in driversforced governmentsto start building infrastructure,such as paved roads,which did improve safety for drivers,but automakers and safety equipmentwere completely unregulated.(musical horns blaring)- May of 1945saw the lights go on again.- The second World Warproved to be a reset buttonfor the car industry.With no cars producedfor almost five years,automakers had to fill empty dealer lotsfor the returning G.I.'s,anxious to spend their pay.In designing these new models,developments from the war,such as improvedmanufacturing and materials,could be applied to the cars being built.These improved materials madethe car stronger and safer.But for the most part,automakers returned to buildingalong the same formula as before,with safety as an afterthought.It wasn't long ago untilthe returning G.I.'sbegan having families and wantedto protect those families.This led many automakers to begin offeringoptional safety equipment on their models.Ford introduced optional lapbelts, and Volvo introducedthe first three-point seat belt in 1959.After seat belt legislationwas introduced in the U.S.,the ability to survive a crashuninjured increased by 40%,and mild injuries decreased by 35%.That's a big deal.With seat belts, manufacturersfigured they had done enough.But a guy named Ralph Naderpublished a scathing reportin 1965 on the lack of safety,titled, Unsafe At Any Speed.This was the book that killed the Corvair.For a number of reasons,the Corvair had particularlyhorrible safety statistics.Some of this had to dowith a unique designthat required underinflatedtires for proper handling.But the rest of the safetyissues were just becauseit was a car and cars weren't safe.Nader's book took a deepdive into every aspectof design that made the car unsafe.What made the book revelatory, however,(gentle music)was the fact that Naderexposed the fact thatChevy knew the car was unsafeand didn't make it saferbecause making it saferwould cost them money.People didn't like the idea that companiesplaced more value onprofits than human life,and soon, public demandforced government regulations,regarding safety to beimplemented in America.Two short years after Unsafe At Any Speed,the U.S. government formedthe National Highway TransportationSafety Administration,and introduced the firstFederal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.These new requirements on automakersselling cars in the U.S. coincidedwith OPEC's 1973 oil embargo.While it may seem that these twowould not influence one another,the timing of these twoevents proved to have somenot great effects on the auto industry.All that safety equipment,which weighed a ton,combined with the miserlyfuel-sipping enginesproved to create an entire decade of slow,lethargic, 1970s American metal,wearing terrible low-impact bumpers.This period of malaise, whichis what it's now called,finally came to an end,thanks to the biggest thingto happen to cars since cars.(upbeat music)By the 1980s, automakershad access to the levelsof computing power that would allow themto digitally design a carand model its crash behaviorwithout having to actuallybuild and crash an entire car.Computer-aided design orCAD led to the developmentof new ways to meet government regulationson passenger vehicle safety.The most impactful of thesewas the widespread adoptionof crumple zones.Car companies build asuper strong center cellaround the passenger compartment,while designing thefront and rear sectionsto manage as much impact as possible.This is still largely how we designand build our cars today.After a crash, cars canbe absolutely mangled,but the people who walk awaycan survive relatively unharmed.To prove that crumple zonesworked, automakers started usingcrash test dummies borrowedfrom the aerospace industry.These dummies measuredthe force of impacts,and while they showedthat the center sectionin the new construction methodwas sufficiently strong,the restraints on the occupants were not.This led to the introductionof passive restraints.Or airbags.Because a seat belt is always holding you,and will be used nomatter what in a crash,it is considered active,while the airbag is considered passive,because it deploys only during a crashand may not ever be used.The design and testingmethods pioneered in the 1980sled to an exponentialimprovement in car safety,that may not have beenpossible without computers.In the 1990s and the early 21st century,computers would continue to providethe main increase in automotive safety.But now, it's because the computersare fitting inside the cars.- A shadowyflight into the dangerous.- In the beginning,computer-controlled driver aidsmainly consisted of anti-sliptraction control systems.They were primitive comparedto modern technology.But technology quickly increasedand cars today are safer than ever.Systems like Tesla's Autopilotand Cadillac's Super Cruiseare hinting at the future.Allowing the car to guide itselfusing onboard sensors and computersfor short distances and timesunder certain conditions.And the best part is thatif your car kills youin autopilot, youweren't paying attention,so you died peacefully withoutany fear of imminent deaththat wakes me every eveningin a cold sweat from my nightmares.As these technologiesincrease, less and lesshuman intervention will be required.This will not only make for a more relaxeddriving experience, but will also removethe most unpredictableaspect of cars on the road,humans.- He ran me over, I jumped on the hood,call the police for me!- Okay!- Thanks to Garage Amino for sponsoringthis episode of WheelHouse.Garage Amino is an app thatconnects car enthusiastsfrom all around the world.Garage Amino lets youconnect and share pictures,get advice, and use publicchatrooms to talk cars,and find inspiration foryour next dream build.There's blog posts, historical analyses,concept builds, new car reviews,even parts and accessories.Garage Amino has it all.The app is like a car formon a stage three tune.It's got a featured feedof all the best new contentand the community is superactive, friendly, and welcoming.There's always new stuff to check outand it's super easy tomake posts of your own.Check out Garage Amino.Click this big ol' yellow subscribe buttonso you never miss anepisode of WheelHouse.If you wanna know more about safety,check out this episode ofWheelHouse on speed limits,and if you like safe cars,check out this episodeof Up to Speed on Saab.Get a shirt at shop.donut.media,seriously, wear your seatbelt, I'll see you later.