Fuzzy dice

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File:Dice 02138.JPG
A pair of fuzzy dice
File:1958 Ambassador 4-d hardtop fuzzy dice.jpg
A pair of fuzzy dice hanging from a car's rearview mirror

Fuzzy dice, also known as fluffy dice, soft dice, or stuffed dice, are an automotive decoration consisting of two oversized (usually six-sided) plush dice that hang from the rearview mirror. The original fuzzy dice used in the 1950s were white and approximately 3 inches (8 cm) across. Nowadays, fuzzy dice come in many colors and various sizes.[1][2][3]

Origin and history

The use of fuzzy dice is believed to be traced back to American fighter pilots during World War II.[4][5] Pilots would hang the dice above their instruments, displaying seven pips, before a 'sortie' mission for good luck. It is also speculated that the dice represented a high degree of risk associated with the fighter sorties; hundreds of pilots were shot down each week. Upon returning after the war, many airmen continued the tradition.

In the 1950s, the fuzzy dice became one of the first items sold specifically to be hung from a rearview mirror. The Encyclopedia of American Social History notes that during the 1950s, young adults were drawn to cars that were "customized for speed, painted with vivid colors, stripes, and flames, tuck-and-roll interiors, fuzzy dice suspended from the mirror, rock-and-roll on the radio...".[6]

Another explanation for hanging these in a car has been proposed that "displaying the dice meant the driver was ready and willing to be 'dicing with death' in the dangerous and unregulated world of street racing".[7]

In some segments, such as the lowrider community, research indicated that even the most dedicated individuals "did not attach any significance to the dice" that were hung from their car's rearview mirror.[8]

A 1993 study found no correlation between the use of fuzzy dice and the degree of a driver's reckless driving behavior.[9]

In some jurisdictions, suspending objects from rearview mirrors is illegal.[10][11][12][13][14]

A technology upgrade to the product includes illuminated LED plastic dice that change colors.[15]

See also

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Spicer, Stuart (2001). Dream Schemes II: Exotic Airliner Art. Motorbooks International. p. 77. ISBN 9781840372298.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Style: Cheesy does it". The Independent. 5 December 1997. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Vokins, Stephen (2008). Nodding dogs & vinyl roofs: the weird world of quirky car accessories. Haynes. ISBN 9781844254224. to the pure kitsch of nodding dogs and fluffy dice, the motoring world's most vital accessories are gathered here
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stefansson, Klara (3 May 2018). "Från ekorrsvans till doftgran – här är fem bilprylar vi minns" (PDF). Metro (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Coop, Terri Lynn (24 May 2019). "The Surprising History of Fuzzy Dice". LiveAbout. p. 18. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cayton, Mary Kupiec; Gorn, Elliott J.; Williams, Peter W. (1993). Encyclopedia of American Social History. Vol. 3. Scribner. p. 2345. ISBN 9780684194578. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Rolling Story of Fuzzy Dice". The News Wheel. ThoughtCo.com. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Natural History. Vol. 91. American Museum of Natural History. 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hemenway, David; Solnick, Sara J. (1 April 1993). "Fuzzy dice, dream cars, and indecent gestures: correlates of driver behavior?". Accident Analysis & Prevention. 25 (2): 161–170. doi:10.1016/0001-4575(93)90056-3. ISSN 0001-4575. PMID 8166776.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Torres-Cortez, Ricardo (16 June 2016). "Think twice before hanging those fuzzy dice — here's why". Las Vegas Sun Newspaper. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Petrány, Máté (7 October 2013). "The Ten Most Obscure Car Laws in the US". Jalopnik. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mello, Michael (23 March 2011). "Fuzzy dice and the law". Orange County Register. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Window stickers, air fresheners and even fluffy dice: The long list of items that Australian drivers can get fined for having in their car - as yet another ludicrous road rule is exposed". msn.com. Australia. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."How hanging an air freshener or fluffy dice from your mirror could cost you £1,000". rac.co.uk. Press Association. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hudson, Travis (14 April 2008). "Fuzzy Car Dice Gets a Lame, 21st Century Upgrade". Jalopnik. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  • Page Template:Sister-inline/styles.css has no content.Script error: No such module "Sister project logo". Media related to Script error: No such module "Commons link". at Wikimedia Commons
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