Today's motorists take seat belts, airbags and child car seats for granted, but numerous safety features we currently consider indispensable are remarkably recent introductions to Britain's roads.
From an age when drivers could lawfully consume alcohol while driving, to a period when youngsters travelled without restraints in the front seat, specialists at classic car insurance provider Lancaster Insurance have put together a collection of motoring laws and regulations from recent history that might astonish you.
Yvonne Gosney, senior trading manager at Lancaster Insurance, explains them.
These days, we wouldn't contemplate pulling away without fastening up, but front seat belts didn't become obligatory in British vehicles until 1983 and rear passengers weren't legally obliged to strap in until 1991.
Children were not obliged to use car seats until 2006
It was equally commonplace, and lawful, for youngsters to sit in either the front or rear without any restraint whatsoever. The concept of child car seats didn't enter UK legislation until 2006, though safety standards have naturally tightened since that time.
"Booster-style seats for children first appeared in the 1930s, but these were not designed with safety in mind. It wasn't until the 60s and 70s when car seats became more popular and although their use was recommended, it wasn't until 2006 when they were required by law," said Yvonne.
Drink-driving legislation also emerged far later than most people imagine, and prior to 1967, there was no legal blood alcohol threshold for motorists in Britain. Motorists were only prosecuted if they were visibly deemed too intoxicated to be driving, and the arrival of breathalysers and legal limits proved highly contentious at the time.
"The introduction of drink driving laws in 1967 marked a shift towards preventative safety and not reactive enforcement," added Yvonne.
It might appear peculiar to consider, but using a mobile telephone whilst driving remained legal until 2003. It wasn't until 2022 that legislation was strengthened to prohibit any form of handheld usage.
The 70mph national speed restriction for motorways and dual carriageways wasn't implemented until 1965 and was initially introduced as a temporary provision. It became permanent in 1967 following numerous serious collisions and to enhance safety.
Previously, motorists could travel as quickly as they wished. "A 30-mph limit for built-up areas was established earlier, in 1934," added Yvonne.
Even fundamental vehicle safety testing was once remarkably relaxed. MOTs only commenced in 1960 and initially only applied to vehicles exceeding ten years old.
Early examinations concentrated on basic mechanical problems, not the safety features protecting drivers and passengers we consider standard today. "In the early phases, many features we now see as essential to safety weren't tested or didn't exist. For example, seatbelts weren't even part of the MOT until the 80s," Yvonne explained.
For years in the UK there was no legal obligation for indicators, so motorists depended on extending an arm out of the window to signal their movements. Flashing electric indicators started to become common in the 50s and had become a standard feature on new cars by the 60s.
"However, it wasn't until the late 80s that vehicles first used after that date were required to have specific, standardised amber indicators at the front, rear, and sides, in the form we recognise today," Yvonne said.
Airbags, now a standard inclusion, only featured in a select few cars in the 70s and didn't become widespread until the 90s.
"Again, this signals the improvements in road safety that have occurred in the UK in the past few decades," added Yvonne. "Modern motoring is built around safety, so it's almost impossible to imagine just how different things were when many of today's classic cars first took to the roads.
"The idea that drivers weren't required to wear seatbelts, that children could travel without car seats, or that you could legally drink while driving feels unbelievable to us now - but that's the world these cars were born into. For us, that's part of the charm of classic cars as pieces of history and how they tell the story of a very different era on Britain's roads."
