1: Introduction and Background

On August 17, 1896, Bridget Driscoll, a 44-year-old mother of two, became the first road fatality in the world from a collision with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. She was hit by a car that – according to witnesses – was going at a “tremendous speed” (reported to be 4 mph). The driver of the car was Arthur Edsell who had been driving for only 3 weeks (no driving tests or licenses existed at that time). He was also said to have been talking to the young lady passenger beside him. After a 6-hour inquest, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death.” At the inquest, the coroner said: “This must never happen again” (Road Peace, 2004).