Volvo, Which Invented the Modern Seat Belt, Has Just Reinvented It
More than 65 years after engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point safety belt for Volvo, the Swedish automaker today announced a major advancement and a world first: a multi-adaptive safety belt.
The idea is to better protect vehicle occupants by adapting to traffic variations and the person wearing it thanks to real-time data from the car’s advanced sensors.
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Indeed, unlike traditional systems, the new multi-adaptive safety belt can use data input from interior and exterior sensors to customise protection, adapting the setting based on the situation and individual’s profiles, such as their height, weight, body shape and seating position.
The system analyses the unique characteristics of a crash—direction, speed, passenger posture, etc.—and shares that information with the safety belt. Based on this data, the system selects the most appropriate setting.
For example, Volvo said, a larger occupant in a serious crash will receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the risk of head injury. Meanwhile, a smaller occupant in a milder crash will receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures.
“The world first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives,” said Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives.”
The new multi-adaptive safety belt designed by Volvo, which has been tested and further developed at the automaker’s Safety Centre crash lab, will debut in the upcoming EX60 electric crossover in 2026.
As Volvo gathers more data and insights, improving its understanding of the occupants, new scenarios and response strategies, the capabilities of the safety belt will continuously improve via over-the-air software updates.
