In 1959, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin created the three-point seatbelt and offered the design plans for free to automakers around the world. Since its introduction, the relatively simple but game-changing design has been credited with saving more than a million lives worldwide. Now the safety-focused car brand is back, giving the humble seatbelt a high-tech upgrade.
The new belt was designed with reliance on Volvo's database of over 80,000 car-crash victims. Inside the car, sensors feed information about passengers into processors that will also pull in data from other exterior, interior, and crash sensors. In the event of a crash, the seatbelt will automatically make adjustments based on the passenger it is protecting and the nature of the accident.
"The new multi-adaptive safety belt can use data input from interior and exterior sensors to customize protection, adapting the setting based on the situation and individual’s profiles, such as their height, weight, body shape and seating position," said Volvo in a statement. "For example, a larger occupant in a serious crash will receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the risk of head injury. While a smaller occupant in a milder crash will receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures."
All modern seat belts use something called a load limiter to control the amount of restraint the seatbelt exerts on a passenger in a crash scenario. While the device is designed to keep passengers from colliding with other parts of the car, it can also release pressure after the most severe part of a crash has occurred in order to prevent injuries, such as broken ribs from too much force.
Volvo says that its new design increases the seat belt's load-limiting profile from three to 11 and "increases the possible number of settings, enabling it to optimize performance for each situation and individual."
In addition, the seatbelt's function is expected to get better over time thanks to over-the-air software updates.
The new safety belt will debut in Volvo's fully electric EX60 in 2026, which will join the company's growing stable of EVs – including the EX30 and its commercial-grade FH long-haul heavy trucks.
Source: Volvo
