Why is a car dashboard called a dashboard?

Answer 1

I think its because where the Why_is_an_auto_dashboard_called_dashboardday dashboard resides there was once a board, or piece of wood, in front of the driver and open-air occupants of horse drawn carriages. The rocks that would be thrown up and 'dashed' against the board would be deflected away from the people riding up front. Important Notices to the driver as to passengers, freight and so on, would be clipped to the 'dashboard' and it also became an area where valuable information was displayed, as it is today.

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