Occupant Without Seat Belt, 20 MPH Barrier Collision," 1958

THF256296 / Occupant Without Seat Belt, 20 MPH Barrier Collision," 1958
01

Artifact Overview

Seat belts were among the most important safety devices in an automobile. As this photo showed, even a low-speed crash could lead to serious injury, whether from broken glass or hard surfaces on the dashboard. Restraints protected people from these dangers. Seat belts were required on all cars sold in the United States starting with the 1968 model year.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

1958

Subject Date

1958

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

64.167.1859.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8.625 in
Width: 11 in

Inscriptions

top of photograph: OCCUPANT WITHOUT SEAT BELT / 25 MPH BARRIER COLLISION / KINEMATICS OF / OCCUPANT DURING CRASH / OCCUPANT IMPACT DAMAGE / TO WINDSHIELD AND / INSTRUMENT PANEL Handwritten in pencil on back side of image: 58-1566-38
02

Related Content

  • 1984 General Motors Advertisement, "Safety is a Full-Time Job"
    Set

    Buckling Up

    • 11 Artifacts
    General Motors workers like Mary Ann Sanford spent each day making over 20 critical checks on seat belt systems in GM cars after they rolled off the line. Yet many Americans still didn't use these lifesaving devices -- "buckling up" wasn't yet mandatory in most states.