A couple of American icons are finding a new home at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Vince and Larry, the crash-test dummies whose numerous bangs, brusies and breaks helped usher in safer highways, are moving to the Smithsonian. The most significant contribution made by Vince and Larry was convincing the public of the importance of wearing safety belts.
It was 25 years ago that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) introduced the American public to a series of public service announcements starring Vince and Larry, crash test dummies, who talked to us and gave us warnings about what could happen if we failed to buckle up. The campaign continued for 13 years using slapstick humor to spread the safety message about utilizing seat belts.
The NHTSA tells us we now have a record-high rate of sealt belt usage hovering around 84 percent.