The importance of automobile safety has driven several key innovations over the last 50 years. It all started with the seat belt in 1966 when the U.S. Congress authorized the Federal Government to set safety standards for new cars. By 1968, seat belts, padded dashboards and other safety features became mandatory equipment. Since the early days of auto safety, many more innovations such as anti-lock brakes and airbags arrived on the scene as standard safety equipment.
