Historical Context

The invention of the automobile in Europe in the late 1800s impacted the American people and culture within just a few decades. Several iterations of the automobile were developed in the early 1900s, using steam, then electric, and then gas power, and Henry Ford fine-tuned the use of the assembly line. On the eve of the Great Depression, not only were more and more Americans driving and purchasing cars, a variety of automobile manufacturers dominated the Midwest, employing these same Americans. While Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler will emerge as "The Big Three," early on different car models dotted the showrooms and crisscrossed the roads, such as Auburn, Cord, Stutz, Duesenberg, Studebaker, and Cole. --Source: history.com

Sales were the priority, but safety issues followed. Dangers in driving were complex and sometimes surprising, ranging from traffic, precipitation, road hazards, collisions, drunk driving, and design flaws, to name a few. According to the National Safety Council: "In 1923, the first year miles driven was estimated, the motor-vehicle death rate was 18.65 deaths for every 100 million miles driven. Since 1923, the mileage death rate has decreased 92% and now stands at 1.50 deaths per 100 million miles driven." The industry would begin to address safety as an important part of its work.

--Source: Smithsonian Institution

Let's Go!

Take a tour around Indiana to learn more about the costs and benefits of safety innovations in the automobile industry. 

as you travel, record your observations in your table.