Peter,

The IIHS is a non-government entity! But I see where you’re going with this and I think you’re giving the wrong people credit. Government regulations through the NHSTA or the DOT may have implemented the mass application of certain safety equipment and standards, but they cannot allege that but for their existence safe vehicles would never have come about.

In the 50′s Ford marketed a “Lifeguard” option for their cars. This was a safety package designed to make the interior less dangerous in a crash. It was a marketing failure. But not so with Mercedes, which at about the same time developed the crumple-zone. This was a bit more successful and that’s what gave them and others (SAAB, Volvo, etc.) their “safe car” marketing advantage through the 70′s.

Safety equipment wasn’t even the exclusive domain of manufacturers. Many of the items we take for granted came to us after extensive use on the race track. Disc brakes were first used by Jaguar at Le Mans in the 50′s and gave tem an advantage over the Italian cars which had more power. Safer and better tires have been an endless pursuit since racing was first developed. Safety belts were used almost exclusively in racing cars and unheard of in anything but sports cars up until the early 60’s. Traction control and ABS were tinkered with for years but not popularly accepted until they proved they could withstand the rigors of the race track. All of these advances crept into production cars not because of bureaucracies, but because the public wanted better products.

Of course I am not saying that the DOT hasn’t done a thing over its history – which started in the 60’s, about 5 or 6 years after the IIHS. Crash protection, fire safety, etc. are all reasonable requirements, but sometimes they go a bit too far, such as the hideous and heavy 5 mph bumpers. And then there are airbags which add lots of weight to cars when we should be trying to slim them down. Remember that airbags were mandated because people were not wearing their DOT approved seat belts? A properly worn seat belt is every bit as effective as an airbag and if people don’t like wearing them, well as the saying goes, “you roll the dice; you take your chances.” But apparently the option to remain safe just wasn’t good enough for the safety nannies.

Don’t even get me started on 5mph bumpers or CAFÉ standards.

Regards,
John

PS – Show someone this video and then given that person a choice between an ’09 Chevy Malibu and a ’59 Chevy Bel Air and I bet the later will almost always find its way into a garage long before the former. Harley Earl designed magnificent cars and the ’59 Bel Air was no exception. The ’09 Malibu has the sex appeal of a Whirlpool dishwasher.