Automakers in the 1920s experimented with mounting literal pedestrian catchers on the front bumpers of early cars to scoop up people walking in the street instead of violently running them over.

A closer look

Automakers in the 1920s experimented with mounting literal pedestrian catchers on the front bumpers of early cars to scoop up people walking in the street instead of violently running them over. Resembling a large cowcatcher from a steam locomotive or a giant mechanical dustpan, this safety device was intended to safely catch unobservant walkers and carry them along for the ride until the driver could brake. The rapid influx of automobiles into cities that were previously dominated by slow pedestrians was causing a massive spike in casualties, so engineers naturally assumed attaching a giant net to the front grille was the logical solution. Unsurprisingly, hitting a person at thirty miles an hour with a metal scoop did not magically prevent severe injuries, and the absurd invention was quickly abandoned. The utter lunacy of expecting a giant mechanical spatula to gently catch jaywalkers perfectly encapsulates the trial-and-error nightmare of early automotive safety standards