Cars are safer and much more reliable now. My 3 year old Mazda has had oil changes, and the key fob batteries had to be replaced. That’s it.
And people still manage to defeat the safety features. Many states have highway signs noting the number of traffic fatalities year-to-date, including the number of those fatalities that were unbelted. A large majority. If people drove sober and buckled up those signs would be very different.
(linguistic indicator - did your Datsun rhyme with “that son” or “what son”?
Once when I was a GScout in the 70s, we were on Maui with 2 station wagons. One of the girls started having an asthma attack and had to be rushed down from Haleakala to lower elevation. The rest of us (about 15 girls plus the driver) had to pile into the other station wagon and go down to meet the other vehicle.
The leader was mad that neither the scout nor parents had mentioned that the scout was asthmatic and might have issues with elevation (likely it hadn’t occurred to them).
Luckily we made it safely down and were able to redistribute the troop better between the two vehicles.
My mother was a terrible driver—she was so cautious that she ended up almost causing accidents. Part of her issue was probably because she didn’t learn to drive until she was forty. The first car she bought was a red and white 1969 Rambler. It was like a tank. She had it for 20 years. My brother, who loves cars and collects them, sent me a listing for a restored car like the one my mother had and it was listed at $59K!!
One of my earliest memories is of my dad installing rear seatbelts in our car – first in a Falcon, then a station wagon, both in the mid-60s. The seatbelts were red and clashed with the upholstery. I remember saying something to my dad about that. I’m sure he was not amused!
My parents had a VW Beetle (1960 or 61) when they first were married and were in an accident with me when I was 9 months old. Dad had installed a seatbelt there, too, and fastened my pitiful car seat in it (I’ve seen the picture). My parents were banged up; I had a scratch on my ear from a piece of broken glass. The hospital got a mixed message and thought my mom was 9 months pregnant. When she arrived, they were rather surprised to see me!
My college BF and I went to a Georgia-Georgia Tech football game in ATL and then drove to the local pizza joint with nine other friends…in a Chevette. The cops pulled us over and made most of us walk. At least we were sober, albeit stupid.
Oh, Mansfield, I just saw your post. I was always in the “way back!” The joys of being the oldest…we got a Kingswood Estates 9-passenger station wagon in 1970. Rear-facing third seat, seat belts included. It was heavenly. Could sit there and read or watch the stars at night.
Yes, we had the Kingwood Estate wagon as well! Ours was black with the wood paneling. We would put 3 in the third seat. I’m not sure there were even 3 seat belts. We probably double-buckled the younger kids. On longer trips, we would get bored back there. We would make faces at the cars behind us. Then they would pass us, gesture to my father, who would then tell us to knock it off.
We had 5 kids and a Rambler wagon. We’d go on long car trips with the seats down & we kids would pile in the back. I am old enough that there were no seat belts … not even sure that there were any in the front back then. My brothers & I had so much fun! Sure, we were unsafe, but no one realized it. I would never do that now, of course.
Personally, loved the sweet smell of gas fumes that would come in through the rear window, which could be lowered, when you sat in the “way back” or “back back.” Until you started feeling nauseous from the fumes, then it wasn’t fun.
Ours was also a “Dot son.” It was this bizarre beige color that I have never, ever seen again on another car. My dad paid $1900 for it.
My H tells the story of when he was about 8 and his mom was driving out to the far reaches of LI in some mid-50’s tankmobile/land yacht thing. He saw fire under the car and told his mom. She said oh, how nice, dear, just put it out, so he tried pouring a bottle of milk on it. Eventually, she smelled the fire and pulled over. She said to him, Honey, why didn’t you tell me there was REALLY a fire?
My brother was thrown out the back of my parent’s station wagon when he was a baby around 1953. He was in some sort of a little portable bassinet and landed intact and facing up with no injuries. I remember our parents driving a whole carload of kids to Santa Monica in the summers with the back of the station wagon fully loaded with kids, the back window down, and our feet hanging out the window. The parents in our neighborhood took turns driving kids to the beach in the summer and it was pretty much the same scenario with each car. I do remember the smell of exhaust coming in the back window.
Regarding the exhaust fumes, leaded gasoline may have contributed to the crime wave that peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s. The social and economic effects of the crime wave were enormous and continue to this day.
I think the way-way-back had two seat belts. Usually my brother was back there with me and the other three sibs were in the middle. At some point Dad may have put another belt back there.
We were stationed at an Army base in Europe while we had the Kingswood Estate wagon – we had some legendary stories about crossing mountain passes and driving through ancient European towns in that behemoth!
Another Rambler station wagon family. My parents and aunt and uncle used to like to go for “drives” with the five ouf us cousins. Men in front seat, small kid between, women in back seat, kid between–three more kids in the trunk. It came with a bar that ran across the back of the back seat for us in the trunk to hold onto. It was especially fun as we got tall and spent the whole “drive” crouched over, being told not to complain.
Other fun things about this Rambler, which we had for the first 12/13 years of my life–every once in a while, a wheel fell off. Also it had push button automatic transmission, and sometimes the buttons fell into the dashboard.
Does anyone remember driver education decades ago when it included how to handle what were then considered common mechanical failures:
Accelerator stuck down (unintended acceleration), due to sticky or corroded throttle cables and such.
Brake failure, particularly before dual hydraulic circuit brakes.
Hood latch failure, resulting in hood flying up and blocking the driver's view.
Also, decades ago, most of the cars leaked oil (sometimes other fluids as well), resulting in oil slicks down the middle of the lanes and where cars were commonly parked (parking spaces, garages, etc.). When it rained, all of that oil floated around and made for very slippery and dangerous conditions, at least until it washed down the storm drains to pollute whatever water they drained into.
Despite cars being safer than ever, fatalities are up 14% in 2015/2016–the increase is the highest in the last 50 years.
The National Safety Council reports that “complacency” is killing us. Apparently, texters cannot drive as well without looking at the road. (Also prescription meds, tailgaiting, speeding etc.)
So, while cars are safer & smarter, people are not.
My younger sister riding standing up on the front bench seat of my dad’s Ford Falcon with no seatbelt. Once time he braked suddenly and she flipped over into the back seat kicking me in the side of the head.
As a teen, I drove my friend’s brother’s car that no power brakes or steering. Back then you really had to anticipate the traffic lights changing as you had to start braking a half block in advance. One time, I had to slam on the brakes suddenly which caused the back seat passenger to lurch forward into the back of my seat pushing me forward face first into the steering wheel. Back then, the seats on two-door cars did not lock in place.
I want to tell you all that this is the funniest thread on CC!! Such great stories. Seriously, you’ve made me laugh out loud. During this stressful time, you’ve all really lightened things up.
Even today, that is a reason for back seat passengers to use the seat belts. For some reason, seat belt use in the back seat is lower than in the front seat.
