Who Invented the Seat Belt?
2 Answers
The standard form of the seat belt in the world was invented by Nils Bohlin as the three-point seat belt, which began to gain acceptance in 1967. On August 13, 1959, the world's first car equipped with a three-point seat belt, the Volvo PV544, was delivered. Here are the specific details about car seat belts: 1. Protecting passenger safety: Car seat belts can protect passengers, especially on highways where rear passengers need to wear seat belts. A seat belt buckle is a device that can be installed in the car's seat belt socket, preventing the seat belt alarm from sounding when the driver does not fasten the seat belt. 2. Ensuring driving safety: The seat belt is the only guarantee of driving safety for the driver and is an active safety measure. Even when driving at relatively low speeds, if a collision or emergency braking occurs, the resulting inertia, though relatively small, is still enough to make the driver and passengers lose control of their bodies, potentially causing injuries by colliding with hard components such as the steering wheel or windshield.
I've been repairing cars for many years and know quite a bit about the invention of seat belts. The modern three-point seat belt was invented in 1959 by Nils Bohlin for Volvo. This guy was previously an aerospace engineer who designed ejection seats. He improved upon the flaws of the earlier two-point seat belts—the three-point structure better distributes impact forces and prevents spinal injuries from body lurching forward. After Volvo opened the patent, this thing became globally widespread and turned into a standard automotive safety feature. I still remember the 1970s data showing it reduced accident fatality rates by nearly half. When repairing cars, I always remind owners to regularly check seat belt buckles—if they're aged or corroded, they must be replaced, otherwise they might not lock properly during emergency braking, which is extremely dangerous. In short, it's the first line of defense when driving—don't find it troublesome, just buckle up as soon as you get in the car.
