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"An accident like this could have been prevented..."
Remember watching those vintage road safety films from the ‘50s in Drivers Ed.? We do, and they left a lasting impression. Not so much for the gore, but mainly for all of the old, vintage cars and corny dialogue presented by the narrator. It was probably our favorite part of the afternoon during our high school days.
This still holds true today.
They were essentially just stockpiles of footage from automobile wrecks, assembled to teach young drivers for generations how not to drive. Initially, it was sound information, but as time went on much of the information would go on to become irrelevant.
Obviously, failure to control a car can kill you but most of today’s safety features hadn’t even been thought of in the ‘40s. Cars were much slower at the time (as evidence of this film’s title, “You’re Driving 90 Horses”), but were designed solely with comfort, price, and style in mind, not safety.
Seatbelts weren’t federally enforced to be installed into vehicles until 1968, and safety glass (apart from the 1948 Tucker) wasn’t a standard feature back then either. Also; airbags, crumple zones, safety cages, and ABS, would have been unnecessary expenses for the automakers in those days.
The "Three C's."
Looking back now, we can’t help but wonder how many of those deaths could have been prevented had vehicles been equipped with such standard features. We’ll never know, but it all starts with responsible driving to begin with. Obeying all traffic laws in conjunction of knowing your vehicle’s capabilities still comes into play even in the 21st century.
In tribute to those classic safety films of yore, we wanted to share with you this public service announcement courtesy of the American Telephone & Telegram Bell Company. Yes, we said telegram. The film was created for the technicians who, like today, usually drive the company’s vehicles.
"Always maintain a safe following distance."
The “movie” is evidently very old, but there’s no copyright date anywhere. Based on pretty much everything in the film, we would have to peg this as being made no later than 1950, but probably a little earlier. In case you’re wondering, it’s gore-free.
So for all of you rodders out there, be careful. Remember to always be alert for pedestrians and other drivers, and try to keep all 90 of those horses under control.
