Cars went fast enough back in the 70s. Some you had to wind up a bit first but nevertheless you could achieve enough speed to hit something hard and kill yourself. Especially as the cars were poorly built compared to today.
Speed limits came to Victoria in 1971. It was 70 mph/113kph. It was reduced to 60 mph a couple of years later.
Seatbelts. If you get the opportunity to ride in an old banger you can see how far we've come. Inertia reel seatbelts vs lap belts of even none. Collapsible steering columns that aren't in your face. Steel dash boards. Terrible seats that used to fold up in a crash. Etc.
It is quite illuminating to get in a standard old banger and see how risky it really was back in the day.
