At the first generation, a dash (dashboard) was an upturned screen of wood or leather, placed on the front of a horse-drawn carriage, sleigh or other vehicle, that protected the driver from the mud, debris, water or snow thrown up by the horse’s hooves. Items located on the dash (dashboard) first included the steering wheel and the instrument cluster.

The instrument cluster on the dash (dashboard) usually contains gauges such as a speedometer, tachometer, odometer and fuel gauge, and indicators such as a gear shift position, seat belt warning light, parking brake engagement warning light and an engine malfunction light. One of the types of dash (dashboard) is wood dash.