Happy Birthday to the Seatbelt!

17-August-2009

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This week, the seatbelt celebrated its 50th anniversary on August 13.

Happy Birthday wishes then surely must be directed to Volvo Engineer Nils Bohlin, who in 1959 shared the patent which granted free use of the design to all other car manufacturers. Sharers are carers - go Nils!

With so many safety innovations designed and implemented into today's vehicles, the 'click-clack front-and-back' seatbelt has been recognised worldwide as the most widely used and significant safety innovation in the auto industry.

It's estimated that more than a million people owe their lives to the simple seatbelt, and it has saved many times that number of people from serious injury.  It is also recognised as one of the 8 patents to have the greatest significance for humanity during the hundred years from 1885 to 1985.

"The decision to release the 3-point seatbelt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo's guiding principle of safety," says managing director of Volvo Car Australia Alan Desselss. "It's why we like to say there's a little bit of Volvo in every car."

Research indicates that vehicle occupants have a 50 per cent better chance of surviving a crash if they're wearing a seatbelt. Most countries have now legalised the use of seatbelts for all drivers, although seatbelt use in some areas is as low as 3.8 per cent.

The future of seatbelts

The future of the seatbelt is constantly evolving. Volvo is exploring ways to improve their design and make the process of wearing one easier and even safer. A 4-point attachment is under discussion as is a motorised belt that tightens the belt and places the driver in the right position in potentially hazardous situations.

International seatbelt use figures.In the US today, only 83 percent of front-seat passengers use their seatbelt even though seatbelt legislation is enforced in all states except for New Hampshire. On the island of Sakhalin in Russia, safetybelt use is as low as 3.8 per cent, and only 23 per cent of Costa Rican and South Korean drivers used seatbelts up until legislation enforcements in the mid-2000s.