It Was a Different World
The 1970s were an era of heavy steel, leaded gasoline, and a total lack of the digital safety nets that modern drivers take for granted every single day. There were no touchscreens to guide your way or sensors to beep when you drifted out of your lane, leaving everything up to your own instincts and a bit of luck. With that in mind, here are 20 driver-challenges from the past that Gen Z probably wouldn’t have survived.
1. Navigating with Giant Paper Maps
Before the luxury of a voice-activated GPS, drivers had to rely on massive fold-out paper maps. You’d have to stop on the shoulder and squint at barely visible grid lines just to see which way to turn at your next exit. Reading a roadmap through one eye while maneuvering with the other became an unfortunate skill everyone had to learn.
2. The Absence of Airbags
Imagine driving around without these gigantic pillows ready to inflate at the push of a button. If you bumped another car, all that would meet your face was a hard wheel and dashboard. In short, if you stopped quickly or got t-boned, the only thing you had to rely on was the strength of a metal cage and your seatbelt.
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3. Seatbelts Were Strictly Optional
Cars were required by law to have seatbelts, but few people used them before driving away from home. It was actually pretty common to see someone fold their seatbelt down behind the seat or let it hang awkwardly while speeding down the road. Campaigns like “click it or ticket” hadn’t happened yet, so the interior was basically the Wild West.
4. Smoking Was Everywhere
You’d be hard-pressed to find a car from this era that didn't come equipped with a built-in ashtray and a glowing lighter right in the center console. It was perfectly normal for parents to puff away while the kids sat in the back with the windows rolled up tight. The lingering scent of smoke was essentially the "new car smell" for an entire generation of young passengers.
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5. Bench Seats and Sliding Passengers
A long flat bench was the popular seating configuration as opposed to individual bucket seats. This meant if the driver turned too quickly, everyone would slide to the same side until hitting the door. The seats didn’t have much side support, so kids constantly bumped elbows or knees on their neighbor.
6. Manual Window Cranks
If you wanted some fresh air, you had to physically grip a plastic handle and rotate it several times to get the glass to disappear into the door frame. This was an arduous task if you were trying to roll down the passenger side window while sitting in the driver's seat by yourself. You’d often end up with a bit of a workout just trying to cool down.
7. The Mystery of Leaded Gasoline
Old gas stations were equipped with leaded gasoline, which was eventually discontinued for health and environmental risks. It was common to see signage telling you not to put unleaded gas in your car lest you ruin your engine. Crazy to think we used to pump toxic metals into the atmosphere whenever we wanted to go for a drive.
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8. No Backup Cameras or Sensors
If you were unable to parallel park your oversized hunk of metal without assistance, you were in trouble. You’d have to turn your whole body around in your seat to see out the rear window and eyeball distances. Many bumper stickers were most likely earned by backing into the car behind you.
9. Metal Dashboards and Sharp Knobs
Dashboards featured lots of hard plastic, shiny chrome, and even painted metal. When colliding with another object, there was zero cushion if you hit the dashboard. Knobs for headlights and radios were pointy pieces of metal that could easily jab you if you weren’t careful.
10. The Lap-Only Rear Seatbelt
Not all cars came equipped with belts in the back, and if they did, they went across your waist. Young kids would ride lying down across the seats because there was no upper torso restraint. High-tech child car seats hadn’t been invented yet, so parents basically strapped their toddlers into the regular seatbelt.
11. Dim Halogen Headlights
Even our night vision wasn’t perfect because cars didn’t have super bright lights like they do today. You were basically driving using two giant mustard-yellow flashlights pointed forward. Those high beams became a necessity during nighttime drives and not just a convenient option.
12. Manual Steering Strength
Power steering was a bonus feature that cost extra on most cars. You actually needed strong arms and upper body strength to turn the wheel while stopped. Modern drivers have weak arms from not having to manually crank their steering wheel whenever they park.
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13. Carburetors and Cold Starts
Instead of pushing a button to ignite your engine, you had to pump your brake and pray the car wouldn’t flood. These things were temperamental, so you often pumped three or four times just to make sure your car would start. It was normal to have to let your engine idle for minutes before driving away.
14. The High-Beam Floor Switch
Instead of a lever on the steering column, most cars had a small silver button on the floorboard that you’d click with your left foot to turn on the brights. It was easy to accidentally kick it while trying to find the clutch or just resting your foot during a long haul. It’s one of those quirky design choices that would leave a modern driver staring at the dashboard in total confusion.
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15. Hubcaps That Flew Off
Cars came equipped with nice chrome rims that literally fell off at the slightest provocation. If you hit a small gap in the road, your hubcap would fly across the country and into a bush. It wasn’t uncommon to see a car cruising down the highway with only three wheels showing.
16. Massive Blind Spots
Mirrors had a tough time competing with giant roof pillars that limited your visibility. You had to constantly remind yourself to look over your shoulder before trying to merge into traffic. Large blind spots were an expected feature on almost every car.
17. Standard AM Radio Only
Forget about listening to anything besides crackly AM radio stations or talk shows. If your car was on the lower end of the cost-to-price ratio, you were stuck with whatever came on the radio. There was no scrolling through albums or plugging your smartphone in to listen to music.
18. Drum Brakes and Long Stopping Distances
Not only did you feel every single bump in the road, but it took way longer for your car to come to a complete stop. People used to have to start braking farther away from stops just to avoid a collision. Driving decades-old cars required you to have both a great brake foot and a heavy one.
19. Full-Size Spare Tires
Getting a flat wasn’t the end of the world because you could change it yourself with the wrench that came with every vehicle. Along with that wrench was a tiny spoiler-looking bumper jack that would lift your car off the ground. These things were always wobbly and never seemed safe while supporting your car’s entire weight.
20. No Air Conditioning as Standard
Many people drove around in the sweltering heat with nothing but the windows rolled down and a small "vent window" angled to blow air directly onto their faces. On a long summer road trip, you’d end up sticking to the vinyl seats and arriving at your destination completely drenched in sweat. It was a rugged way to travel.
