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, automobile security rules had been largely nonexistent or diversified significantly from state to state.
This act considerably improved automobile security by mandating security requirements for cars, tires, and different automobile elements. It led to the event and implementation of essential security options, akin to seat belts, padded dashboards, and shatter-resistant windshields. Moreover, it created the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) to supervise and implement these rules, in addition to to conduct analysis into site visitors questions of safety. Its historic context lies in a rising concern over the rising variety of site visitors fatalities and accidents, prompting a nationwide response to deal with the issue.