If regulators didn’t force car makers to install safety equipment, would consumer demand be enough to get car makers to do so anyway? Or would car makers abuse the fact that most consumers don’t know which safety features are really most worth paying for?The North American auto industry is heavily regulated. Fuel efficiency is, of course, regulated (by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States and by Transport Canada in Canada), as are tailpipe emissions. But even more significant are the safety regulations to which the modern North American vehicle is subject. Safety standards cover everything from the design of seat belts to the performance of braking systems, the presence and functioning of air bags, and the ability of front and rear bumpers to survive low-speed collisions. All of these things have made the cars driven by North Americans (and Europeans) vastly safer—both under “normal” driving conditions and during emergencies—than they were, say, fifty years ago.