Cars have changed considerably in the last six decades, but what hasn’t are the distracted, inattentive drivers who ruin what should be the pleasant experience of driving. Today’s plethora of safety features automakers (and the government) continually force upon new car buyers really haven’t seemed to eliminate those wild antics either, as videos on YouTube, Reddit, and your socials channels show those drivers are still out there in full force. Joie Chitwood, stuntman or “thrill driving star” of the 1960s, calls it carelessness. Sixty years later in the heat of the moment, we call them “idiots.”
Chitwood, known for his incredible stunt entertainment, partnered with Liberty Mutual and made a film called “Hellbent for Safety.” The 1963 film, restored and shared by YouTuber 16mm Time Machine, demonstrates what happens when carelessness takes on the road. Chitwood puts his talent to work using Chevrolets to walk viewers through various “careless” scenarios ending in dramatic crashes.
In one of the demonstrations, Chitwood was driving a car down a dark neighborhood street with cars parked on the shoulder. An oncoming car with bright lights made it difficult for Chitwood to navigate the road, causing him to plow into the parked cars to avoid the other car. In another, more dramatic segment, a car tried to pass Chitwood on a hill, with an oncoming car in the other lane. The passing car forced Chitwood’s car onto the grass where he hit a sign and proceeded to roll somewhat violently down a hill.
Do you have to learn the hard way too?
Watching Chitwood perform the stunts is outright entertaining. You’re further impressed when his son points out that the key to their safety in each of these stunts is a simple lap belt, though they do wear helmets in the “stunt” crashes as well.
But every scenario is inspired by prior incidents where someone was just ignoring the basic rules of the road — things we should all know and remember from drivers’ education classes. What should be common sense and avoidable isn’t, because as we know, common sense isn’t that common, and attention spans are about as long as a blinking red light, if they don’t run it.
The messaging for a video made by an insurance company is fairly expected. Being attentive and mindful of your surroundings is pivotal when behind the wheel. Yet even in 2026, the same demonstrations Chitwood made six decades earlier of careless, stupid drivers, are all things we’ve seen ourselves on the road, and probably quite recently.
The video ends with another crash, attended to by ambulatory services. A voiceover asks “What about you? Do you have to learn the hard way too?”
I honestly would rather not, but recent near-miss experiences on the road in the last month have inspired my household to look into dash cams as the “careless” drivers come out in full force for the summer season. For some reason the warmer months really bring them out. And holidays. And nice weather….
Join me weekly as I introduce a new(er), sometimes nostalgic video worth adding to your Watch Later lists. Leave a note in the comments if you find an older or interesting film you’d like to see featured.
