The laws, enacted in 1966, represents a landmark second within the pursuit of safer roadways and autos inside the US. It established federal authority to set and implement security requirements for motor autos and associated tools. Previous to its passage, car security laws had been largely nonexistent or assorted significantly from state to state.
This act considerably improved car security by mandating security requirements for cars, tires, and different car elements. It led to the event and implementation of essential security options, corresponding to seat belts, padded dashboards, and shatter-resistant windshields. Moreover, it created the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) to supervise and implement these laws, in addition to to conduct analysis into visitors issues of safety. Its historic context lies in a rising concern over the rising variety of visitors fatalities and accidents, prompting a nationwide response to deal with the issue.