Citation

States JD. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1965; 9: 1-10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1965, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Historically, all means of travel except the automobile have been regulated by the Federal Government for many years. Safety standards were established by federal legislation for the railroads in 1893, for airplanes in 1926, and for the trucking industry in 1936. Until 1962, safety standards for automobiles were entirely in the hands of state legislatures. Control was limited, lacked uniformity and lagged far behind research findings. In 1962, Congress established safety standards for brake fluids and in 1963 standards for seat belts. These were small but significant steps in the establishment of federal safety standards.

A milestone was established in 1964, when the Eighty-eighth Congress passed the Roberts Law establishing safety standards for government purchased cars. This law is the first attempt of Congress and the Federal Government to establish broad safety standards for the automobile industry. The law has required the General Services Administration to determine and publish specific safety standards.