By the late 1930s, many people in England had resigned themselves to the fact that war was right around the corner. Worse, they knew by what was happening in other parts of Europe that London and other major U.K. cities would likely be targeted with explosives.
This realization produced something unexpected, specifically among men in their early 20s from well-to-do English families. These young men purchased expensive roadsters and fast cars and began driving them at top speeds throughout the country. Shortly after that, the incidence rate of car accidents, often severe, rose significantly throughout England. Not only were there deaths, but many of these wealthy young men suffered acute injuries and physical disfigurations that changed their lives forever.