On today’s automotive series about women and cars, we are taking a look on scientific, political and engineering breakthroughs these women had discovered that shaped the way cars are made and utilized today.

1. Florence Lawrence

Known as the first celebrity for appearing on films during the dawn of cinema in the 1900s. She made money from those films and bought an automobile. Her experience as a driver was pretty appalling, because during the early 1900s cars didn’t have any form of turn signals nor brake lights. One could imagine seeing too many car accidents due to abrupt maneuvers without notifying other drivers. This issue had lead her to invent two major safety features, turn signals and brake lights.

For the turn signals she used a mechanism that raises a flag on either side of the direction to notify other drivers which direction is she taking.
For the brake lights she used a sign positioned at the back vehicle that is written “Stop!”, the sign is only raised when the driver presses the brake pedal and it triggers a mechanism to lift the sign up.

Unfortunately she didn’t patent her invention, causing larger manufacturers to take credit. So what we can take from Ms Florence’s misfortune is to always protect your property through legal action. However Ms Florence is still remembered to this day as the “mother of automotive safety features”.

Source: Motorbuscuit

2. June Mccarroll

Believe it or not she is the inventor of the road lane separation line. The story behind the invention is pretty interesting, in 1917 she was a nurse who commuted to work with a Ford Model T. She nearly faced her demise when a truck was approaching her on her lane.

After that incident she took initiative by painting the street with a line that serves to separate vehicles into lanes on her neighborhood “Indio Boulevard California”. She then undertook writing a letter campaign in association with the Indio Women’s Club and other similar groups to advocate for her idea.

By 1924 the California Highway Commission adopted her idea and made it mandatory, the rest is history.

Source: Atlasobscura.com

3. Katharine Blodgett

Ph.D graduate in Physics at Cambridge University, which came in handy because she discovered methods for Mono molecular coating on glass at the Research Lab in Schenetady New York. That coating had lead to the invention of non-reflecting glass for automobiles in 1938. This type of invention has helped motorists from being blinded by solar glares from the sun.

Source: Edisontechcenter.org

4. Stephanie Kwolek

Chemist Stephanie Kwolek invented and patented a unique material made by manipulating strands of Carbon-based molecules which is Kevlar in November 22nd 1968. Kevlar is used to create bulletproof vests, aeronautical equipment, high performance cars (i.e Lotus), Helmets and run-flat tyres.

Her breakthrough happened by accident when she was working at Du Pont textile fiber laboratory in Buffalo New York. Her work consisted of manipulating strands of Carbon-based molecules making them larger (polymer) and turning that solid polymer into a clear and syrupy substance. However one day the outcome came out the opposite, the substance was thin and opaque, she then asked other scientists to spin this substance to remove the liquid residue resulting to a new type of fiber, Kevlar.

We really need to appreciate this woman, because without her, the number of head injuries from motorcycle accidents would’ve been through the roof.

Source: Acs.org

5. Margaret Wu

Taiwan born, and PhD graduate in Physical Organic Chemistry at Rochester University Margaret Wu had made a scientific breakthrough for anything mechanical related. She i mproved on the properties of synthetic lubrication by adding a new molecule called Polyalphaolefin (PAO). It occured when she joined Mobil in the 1977 and by the mid 1980s she had been developing the synthetic lubricant.

Basically synthetic oil lubrication offers superior lubrication, greater wear protection and less friction from other formulated products. The end result is greater engine performance, longer oil life, better fuel economy and less engine wear and tear.

A lot of mainstream Engine oil manufacturers/refineries base their formula from Ms Wu original synthetic oil lubricant.

What’s the take away from all this? Basically we’ve learned that women are just as innovative as men, because these aforementioned women and the others we’ve forgotten to include on this list have introduced scientific breakthroughs that managed to improve our daily motoring lives.