20 Road Safety Rules From the 1960s That Would Surprise Drivers Today

The road safety of the 1960s presented a world in which cars were becoming integral to daily life, but it also presented a world in which some of the safety practices we now take for granted had not yet taken hold. There were times when families did not wear seat belts, when kids ran wild in cars, when passengers sat in positions that offered little in the way of safety, and when it was common to see people riding on the rear window shelves of cars, riding in the bed of pickups, or when it was acceptable to have an infant ride on an adult’s lap in a vehicle. These were all common practices that did not seem to be risky at the time.

1. Children Rode in Cars Without Seat Belts

During the early 1960s, seat belts weren’t viewed as a safety necessity but rather as something that was extra. Many American automobiles from popular manufacturers like Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler either didn’t have seat belts at all or offered them as optional features. Children would be transported in the back seat with minimal restraint, while their parents would shuttle them across long distances on the growing highway system, such as the Interstate system initiated in the late ’50s. It was quite common to observe children kneeling on the seat, leaning out over the front bench seat, or lying out on the back window shelf, trying to catch a glimpse of the highway behind them.

2. Riding in the Back of Pickup Trucks on Public Roads

During the 1960s, it was not uncommon to spot people riding in the back of a pickup truck as it drove down the highway. Farmers used these vehicles for transportation, as did builders and families. In fact, the back of a pickup truck was used to transport people and goods. Teenagers would ride on the back of the pickup truck as it drove down the highway. It was like an adventure for the kids as they held on to the sides of the pickup as the wind rushed by. Rarely was safety discussed, as the pickup was used as a means of transportation. In fact, there were no back seat belts in the pickup trucks of the 1960s.

3. Infants Rode on a Parent’s Lap in the Front Seat

In the 1960s, many people thought that if they put the baby in their arms in the front passenger seat, it was simply the common-sense thing to do. Baby car seats had not yet become popular, and most people had never even heard of them. Women carried their babies on long trips because they thought that if they stopped suddenly, the baby would be protected by the arms of the mother. It was a comforting thought, almost a natural one. A baby snuggled contentedly in the arms of the mother as the car drove down the highway or through the city streets. But medical studies later showed that not even the strongest arms could hold onto a baby during a crash because the force would be too great.

4. Standing Up Inside Moving Cars

It was not uncommon, during the 1960s, to see a kid standing in a moving vehicle as a parent drove through a neighborhood or down a highway. Wide bench seats, not bucket seats, were the norm, providing ample space for a kid to stand between the front seats to get a glimpse of what was ahead of the vehicle, or stand over the dashboard as a parent drove the vehicle. Some parents did not discourage this because they thought it kept the kids entertained during a long trip. In family station wagons, some kids even stood in the back of the wagon, looking out the rear window as the vehicle was driven down the highway.

5. No Seat Belts Required for Drivers or Passengers

Plenty of people in the early 1960s thought seat belts were not only unnecessary but also quite uncomfortable. In fact, while some automobiles came equipped with seat belts, legislation rarely mandated their usage. People would often leave the belts unbuckled and feel quite restrained during routine driving. In fact, some people thought that the ability to move around inside the automobile was far safer than being strapped in. Others thought that the belt would trap you inside the automobile in the event of a crash or a fire. In fact, during long trips, it was not uncommon for everyone in the automobile to be unbuckled. However, safety experts would later begin to publish studies and reports about automobile crashes.

6. Children Played in the Rear Window Shelf

In the 1960s, there was a wide, flat area at the back of the rear seat, referred to as the rear window shelf, which was common in most large sedans. Children would stand on this platform when traveling in their parents’ cars, then stretch out under the rear window as the vehicle moved down the road. It provided them with a view of the world as it passed by, as well as an opportunity to wave at drivers in the lane behind their parents’ vehicle. Parents were willing to tolerate this behavior since it helped to keep their kids relaxed during long road trips. For instance, in cars like the Chevrolet Impala or Ford Galaxie, this platform seemed spacious enough for a child to lie down in comfort.

7. Allowing Young Children to Sit in the Front Seat

In the 1960s, it was quite common for young kids to ride up front on everyday trips. People did not protest as much as they should have because many vehicles featured wide front bench seats that could accommodate three people across the front of the vehicle. The child could sit next to the driver or even squeeze in between two adults as the vehicle traveled through the streets or down the highway. It might have been quite convenient for the parents to put the child in the front seat of the vehicle. The child could talk with the driver easily, observe the road, and feel like he or she is an active part of the process of driving the vehicle.

8. Drivers Signaled Turns With Hand Gestures Instead of Lights

In the early 1960s, drivers were in the habit of making hand signals to indicate their intended actions on the road, such as turns or stopping, since not all drivers had turn signals installed in their vehicles at that time. Even though turn signals were installed in most vehicles, older vehicles either lacked them or had defective ones. So, drivers had to extend their arms out of the window to signal their intended actions to other road users. A straight arm pointed to the left meant a left turn, whereas a flexed arm pointed upwards meant a right turn. A straight arm pointed down meant slowing down or stopping.

9. Driving Without Headrests in Car Seats

In the early to mid-1960s, cars did not come equipped with headrests. People sat on flat bench seats that did not provide any neck or head support at all. Car designers did not care about neck or head injuries when they were concerned with making their vehicles look nice and comfortable. They made long, sleek seat backs to provide a nice look inside cars, like Cadillacs or Chevrolet Bel Airs. Many thought these were perfectly fine for driving around town or cruising down the highway. However, medical researchers discovered that by not having headrests in vehicles, neck injuries could result from rear-end collisions. Without head support, a sudden stop in traffic can cause the neck to snap backward, a condition now called whiplash.

10. Riding Without Motorcycle Helmets

In the early 1960s, a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts took to the roads without wearing a helmet. In fact, helmet laws had still not taken firm root in many places—not only in America but in many parts of the United Kingdom as well. People dismissed wearing a helmet as being uncomfortable or unnecessary for short trips around town. The Harley-Davidson Sportster or the Triumph Bonneville was a common sight on America’s roads in the 1960s, and many enthusiasts loved cruising around town with the wind in their hair as they sped along America’s highways or through town. However, over time, safety issues began to shift public perception.

11. Allowing Multiple Passengers in the Front Bench Seat

In the 1960s, many cars had a wide front bench seat—a continuous seating area where several people could sit next to the driver. It was not uncommon to see three adults, or a combination of adults and kids, squeezed in the front seat during a drive. Families would squish together in the front because the back seat was filled with luggage and other passengers. This was perfectly logical in the 1960s because many families would take a road trip during the holidays and fill up the car with kids and luggage. It was the way things were done at the time and was considered very convenient and logical. However, this was very dangerous.

12. Driving After Drinking With Few Legal Consequences

In the 1960s, drinking and driving wasn’t really taken seriously as it is today. There were laws against it, of course, but enforcement was all over the place, and knowledge of it wasn’t really out there either. Drinking was part of every social gathering, and lots of people got in their cars after drinking with little to no thought of it. There were no efforts from bars and restaurants to keep their patrons from driving, and the idea of a designated driver wasn’t really something that was ever discussed. As studies were continually performed, it was becoming increasingly obvious that drinking and driving wasn’t really safe.

13. Letting Children Ride in the Cargo Area of Station Wagons

In the 1960s, the station wagon was a popular family car in North America and parts of Europe. Large models like the Ford Country Squire and Chevrolet Kingswood offered ample space in the cargo area, located directly behind the rear seats. Families used this space to carry luggage, groceries, and sports equipment, but it was not uncommon for kids to ride in this area while the car was in motion. On long drives, parents might even place a blanket in the back of the station wagon so kids could take a nap while the highway sped by outside the windows. At this time, the risks of riding in this area of the station wagon were not fully understood, as this area offered no seat belts or seating.

14. Standing in the Back Seat of Convertibles While Driving

Convertibles seemed to capture the hearts of people in the 1960s, as they were popular not only among young people but also among families who went on joyrides on weekends. A Ford Mustang convertible, a Chevrolet Corvette, or any other convertible of the time allowed owners to fold the top down, so they could feel the sun on their skin and the wind in their hair. Sometimes, kids would stand on the back seat of the car as they cruised through quiet streets or along a scenic route, looking over the windshield as they felt the wind. What seemed to be a fun activity was, in fact, a hazardous situation, as a sudden stop or a collision might make a standing person lose balance, falling either inside the car or outside of it.

15. Drivers Allowed Children to Sit Between the Driver and Passenger

In many cars from the 1960s, this broad front bench provided a seat right between the driver and the passenger—a great place for a child on short trips in the city. The middle seat was the place to be on short trips, and the kids in this seat would often be excited by the view ahead and watch the driver turn the wheel and operate the array of instruments in front of him. It was a good place for the family because everyone could ride in the car together. But there were several problems with this configuration. First, the middle seat rarely had a seat belt, and the child was pressed up close to the steering wheel and the instruments in the front of the car.

16. Driving Without Shoulder Belts

In the early to mid-1960s, the majority of cars had no seat belts at all or only basic lap belts in the front seats. Shoulder belts—those designed to cross the chest area and hold the upper body in place—were rarely ever present in any vehicle. People were mostly reliant on lap belts, even if they were present in the vehicle. Popular cars such as the 1964 Chevelle or the 1965 Plymouth Fury came with lap belts as an option. However, many owners chose not to install them because they were deemed unnecessary. The absence of a shoulder belt meant a huge security flaw in the event of a car accident because the upper body would lurch forward violently despite the lap belt keeping the lower body firmly in place.

17. Driving Without Child Safety Locks on Car Doors

Going way back to the 1960s, interior door latches were basically just vulnerable openers that any passenger, even the smallest child, could open the door with from inside the vehicle. The Dodge Dart and the Oldsmobile Cutlass, popular vehicles from the period, did not have any safety locks to prevent kids from opening the vehicle’s door while the vehicle was moving. A curious child in the backseat could reach the handle and open the door with minimal effort. However, most parents did not worry about this because the issue was not being discussed as much at the time. As the years went by, accident reports began to show that kids were indeed able to open the vehicle’s doors while the vehicle was in motion.

18. Allowing Drivers to Hold Infants While Driving Slowly

However, there were drivers in the 1960s who thought it was perfectly okay to have a baby on their lap as they cruised slowly through the streets or the country. It was harmless to them because they were not going too fast and there was not much traffic. Some drivers would even put the infant on the driver’s lap and drive the car with only one hand. The infant would either hold the steering wheel or sit on the wheel as the car cruised slowly by in the country roads. This was evident in the pictures and movies taken during the 1960s. Safety experts would later reveal the dangers involved in such a practice.

19. Riding in Cars Without Rear Seat Belts

Back in the 1960s, rear seat belts were not something you commonly saw in passenger vehicles. Car makers were primarily concerned with keeping the driver and front passenger safe, leaving the rear seat of vehicles unrestrained. Families in the rear of vehicles had no restraints at all. Kids and adults simply sat across the wide rear bench of vehicles as they cruised down the road or out on the highway. Vehicles like the 1962 Chevrolet Impala and the 1966 Dodge Coronet left rear seat passengers without any restraints at all. Since seat belts were still in their infancy, rear seat safety was of little concern to vehicle makers.

20. Allowing Passengers to Sit on Fold Down Tailgates

Pickup trucks and utility vehicles sometimes carried people on the open tailgate as they proceeded at slow speeds on rural roads or farm paths in the 1960s. This method of riding became quite popular in the agricultural areas of the United States and Australia during the harvest seasons or other events. The individuals would ride on the lowered tailgate with their feet gripping the sides of the truck bed. This allowed the transportation of many people at once without the need for an additional vehicle. However, there was hardly any protection offered to the riders. The individuals riding on the tailgate were at great risk of being thrown off the vehicle due to the bumps and sharp turns that the vehicle might take.

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