History of car insurance

AS you probably know the widespread use of the automobile in the cities began only after the First World War. Cars were comparatively fast and dangerous by that time, but there was still no obligatory form of car insurance anywhere in the world. This meant that damaged cars and injured victims often didn’t get any compensation in an accident, and drivers often had significant costs because of the damage to their cars and health.

A required car insurance system was first introduced in the Great Britain with the Road Traffic Act 1930. This document said that all vehicle owners and drivers had to be insured for their responsibility for damage or death to third parties while their vehicle was being used on a public road. Germany passed similar legislation in 1939.

The idea of an obligatory insurance came to USA much more earlier than in UK though in 1925 law according the compulsory insurance for all types of vehicles was only accepted in Massachusetts . Gradually it spread to all of America. 

First talks about the car insurance in Russia were already in 1924, but for the ordinary citizens of that time the automobile was a luxury, rather than a means of transportation. The talks related auto insurance was restarted again only in 1960s, and in 1991 the car insurance became obligatory.

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First Car Accident

The automobile as a revolutionary technology came to the stage in 18th century with the establishment of steam-power machines capable to carry humans. But the benefits of mobility were accompanied by dramatic new risks. You might think that the first car crash was after Karl Benz built his famous Patent Motorwagen in 1886, but in fact the first recognized car accident was the death of the scientist Mary Ward on August 31st in 1869, in the City of Birr in Ireland. On that day, Mary and three companions were having a trip on a steam powered carriage. While in motion, the carriage hit a bump, throwing Mary from her seat and into the path of one of the carriage’s wheels where she was crushed.

Mary’s death was reported the next day in the King’s County Chronicle and a formal investigation was held to discover the cause of death and whether anyone was at fault. In the end, the jury decided that Ward’s death was nothing more than a awful accident, though the reason for the carriage suddenly throwing Mary to the ground was never discovered.

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History of car lights

Today it's hard to believe, but on the first cars have no "light devices at all! Riding on the "first cars " in the days of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz was very risky even in the daytime. And so to drive at night people can’t even dream. First car headlights represented simply kerosene lamps.

In 1896, just 10 years after Carl Benz was granted a patent for his first car, and only then Louis Bleriot the famous aircraft proposed to use the acetylene headlights. Similar design spotlights actively were used the locomotives!

Well known to us electric lights have been widely used in cars since the early 20-ies of XX century. Though in the model of "luxury" class they have been used even earlier: since the mid 10-ies. - Almost immediately after the invention. One of the first electric lights were fixed on Cadillac Model 30 and the legendary Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. In fact, the first such lights were a power spotlights. There was, however, another problem: the drivers, who were traveling at night on reciprocal courses, blinded each other mercilessly. That is why very soon the first light correctors appeared, with variety of different types: lever, cable, hydraulic. Some manufacturers put the lever of a rheostat at the front desk, with the help of which the driver can adjust the brightness of the lamps.

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