Before wearing a seatbelt was mandatory, safety was not the issue it is today. It seemingly was left up to the individual. We always were told to wear seatbelts by responsible adults, though my Dad had a Libertarian streak about him and sometimes refused saying, "he didn't like the governement telling him what to do." This was when dashboards were made out of metal, air-conditioners were an option, windows rolled up manually, and vent windows were largely standard on front seat car doors. By the time I could drive unbuckled seatbelts would produce an annoying beep or the car would simply not start if people sitting in the front seats didn't buckle up.
Airbags didn't become mandatory until 1998. Fortunately, I have never seen or felt them in action. I've been told they can break your nose if they hit you squarely when activated upon impact with another car or object. I will accept the word of the experts on the necessity of airbags and continue to drive as if everyone is a distracted driver not paying any attention to me.
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