Hood ornaments were a common sight during the early days of motoring. However, as time progressed, their use slowly declined. In some places of the world, hood ornaments are illegal. That is because, in the case of a collision with a passerby, the hood ornament can cause severe injuries to the pedestrian. The Spirit of Ecstacy has a safety mechanism for this in the form of a spring-loaded mechanism hidden under the hood of the vehicle.