In 1966, the National Highway Safety Bureau (NHSB) was designed by the Highway Act. NHSB Director Dr. William Haddon noted that it could prevent accidents automotive by applying public health and epidemiology methods. Various passages called for the government to set standards for highways and motor vehicles. The federal government responded by developing new safety features in automobiles such as seat belts, head restraints, and shatterproof windshields. Barriers, reflectors and central stripes have been placed on the roadways to provide direction and lighting. Traffic safety laws, seat belt use, and public education have encouraged drivers to make safer decisions. Seat belt use skyrocketed from 11 percent in 1981 to 68 percent in 1997 and then declined. As the community and government realized the need for motor vehicle safety, various programs such as Prior to implementation, the rate was 18 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1925; however, in 1997 the rate was 1.7 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. With all the new safety features in automobiles, public education, and enforcement of safety laws, “vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of injury-related death in the world.” United States." More than 23.9 million motor vehicle accidents were reported in 1997; estimated costs were approximately $200 billion.