From Horse And Buggy To Motor-Car
There are many parts of a motor car which still carry the names originally given them in the horse and buggy days. The names remain the same, but what a change has been made in their appearance and usefulness. A "dashboard' was originally a board placed on the forepart of a carriage, sleigh or other vehicle, to intercept water, mud or snow thrown up by the heels of the horses. In England it was first known as a "splashboard" but the Americans changed it to "dashboard". The word "dash" is probably of Scandinavian origin where "daske' means to beat of strike. An English dictionary of 1822 describes "dash' to bespatter.
The modern definition of a dashboard is a board containing instruments fixed beneath the windscreen of a motor vehicle. It has moved from a protective measure to one against which the occupants of the front seat must be protected. Some manufacturers are now making rubber dashboards. One of the best ways to proteet passengers against cracking their skulls on the modern dashboard when a vehicle cornes to a sudden, unexpected top is a seat belt similar to those used in aircraft.
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Bibliographic details
Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1957, Page 5
Word Count
197From Horse And Buggy To Motor-Car Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1957, Page 5
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