Auto Insurance and Vehicle Safety

With the invention of the automobile, motorists soon found that they needed insurance. Because most companies at first being reluctant to provide auto insurance, the maritime insurance sector filled the void by writing special policies. In 1913, California’s two automobile associations began to meet this need. Within another decade, state government started requiring that all drivers have liability insurance coverage.

Vehicle safety was not the primary concern at the start, with the focus being on the driver and training programs instead of technological solutions. Only slowly did car lights, bumpers, safety glass, hydraulic brakes, turning signals and seat belts start to become standard features on automobiles. The 1950s and 1960s saw the first mandatory national safety standards in the nation