Loving the Automobile to Death? Injuries, Mortality, Fear, and Automobility in West Germany and the United States, 1950–1980 (Autoliebe und Verkehrstod. Verletzungen, Angst und Automobilismus in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und den USA 1950–1980) (2019)
Zeller, Thomas (Author)
Technikgeschichte: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Technik und Industrie
Volume: 86
Issue: 3
Pages: 201-226
Edition Details: Issue Theme: Tech-Fear
Language: English
Automobility, as it has been understood by historians, has been the historical locus of joy and excitement for millions of drivers and their passengers. Si- multaneously, the growth of the automotive sector has resulted in the deaths and injuries of millions of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. This paper aims to analyze debates and technological solutions surrounding these crashes and their differing perceptions in the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States during the post-World War II period. West Germany’s response to this lethal crisis was a focus on infrastructures and a call for abolishing speed limits on the part of many drivers and their advocates. In the United States, however, automobiles and their design received more attention. Fears and solutions offered to counter fear shaped technological artifacts; in turn, these artifacts themselves were the objects of emotional debates. , Das rapide Wachstum des automobilen Sektors in den konsumorientierten Gesellschaften der Nachkriegsjahrzehnte hing zu einem beachtlichen Teil von der emotionalen Anziehung des Automobils und seines Betriebs ab. Autofahren wurde zunehmend beliebter und wurde von vielen Fahrern als erfüllende Tätigkeit empfunden. Gleichzeitig wuchs mit dem wachsenden Individualverkehr die Angst vor Verletzungen und Todesfällen am Steuer. In diesem Aufsatz werden diese Ängste anhand der Geschichte technischer Artefakte wie Leitplanken, Lenkräder und Straßen untersucht. Diese techni- schen Objekte sollten dabei helfen, Ängste zu überwinden, und das Autofahren sicherer machen, lösten aber ihrerseits heftige Debatten über ihren Zweck und ihre Nutzung aus.
...MoreArticle Martina Heßler; Bettina Hitzer (2019) Introduction: Tech-Fear. Histories of a Multifaceted Relationship (Einleitung: TechnikAngst. Zur Geschichte eines vielgestaltigen Verhältnisses). Technikgeschichte: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Technik und Industrie (pp. 185-200).
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