Friday 24th June 1966
The US Senate voted 76-0 for the passage of what will become the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson the following September. The Act established an agency that would set safety standards for all new motor vehicles beginning with the 1968 model year. Among the first safety standards adopted by the agency were seat belts, windshield wipers, glare reduction on interior and exterior surfaces, padded visors and dashboards, recessed control knobs, outside mirrors, impact-absorbing steering columns, dual braking systems and standardized bumper heights.