Which Automaker Introduced The 3 Point Seatbelt? How is it Common With Every Vehicle?

It is difficult to imagine in this day and age of radar-guided automated brakes and lane departure warning systems, but there was a time when safety in automobiles was more of an afterthought than a primary concern. Which automaker introduced the 3 point seatbelt? Volvo is responsible for giving away the three-point seat belt, which is widely regarded as the most significant safety innovation in the history of automobiles.

Let’s take a look back at the contemporary seat belt, which was invented in 1959 by an engineer working for Volvo named Nils Bohlin. In those days, seat belts consisted of little more than two-point waist restraints, and in the event of an accident, they often caused more damage than they prevented.

Bohlin was an ex-Saab aviation engineer who used to work on ejector seats. He was the first person to design a seat belt that could be worn over the driver’s torso in addition to the driver’s lap. In 1959, the design was introduced for the first time in the Nordic market on the Volvo Amazon and the Volvo PV544. In 1963, it arrived in the United States of America.

It was a ground-breaking innovation that had the potential to earn Volvo a fortune from patents alone, but the company chose not to pursue such opportunities.

But didn’t Volvo already do that? They concluded that the patent was too crucial for them to keep to themselves, so they gave it away.

Volvo was the first company to offer up the patent for the three-point seatbelt so that other automakers could use it in their own designs. This is the main reason why it is so extensively used today. They came to the conclusion that the innovation was so important that it had greater value as a free tool that might save lives than as something they could make money off of.

Up to the year 1985, Bohlin remained employed at Volvo, during which time he advocated for further safety improvements such as rear seat belts and side impact protection. He passed away in 2002, only a few years after being entered into the Automotive Hall of Fame and being awarded a gold medal by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science. He was a pioneer in the automotive industry. Volvo says that his idea for seat belts had saved the lives of more than one million individuals throughout the globe.

Therefore, if your life has ever been spared by a three-point seat belt, thank Bohlin for it. You can also thank Volvo for prioritizing the safety of individuals above the profitability of their business.

We take it quite for granted. In fact, it’s become so routine that we probably don’t even give it a second thought anymore. We get in our vehicles, fasten the seat belts, and drive, but we seldom pause to consider: which automaker introduced the 3 point seatbelt?

The standard three-point seat belt that is included in all of our vehicles is a life-saving safety precaution that is so ordinary that many automakers don’t even include it on their list of safety features.

In 1959, Volvo Cars were the first automaker to market a vehicle equipped with a safety belt.

Car Manufacturer Who Gave Away Seat Belt Patent

If Volvo Cars were responsible for inventing this game-changing piece of safety technology, then why are seat belts standard equipment in every vehicle sold in the United States? Wouldn’t Volvo Cars be eligible for a patent on the Volvo seat belt? If they wanted to keep it all to themselves, they would. However, Volvo Cars came to the conclusion that the Volvo seat belt may potentially save so many lives that it should be standard equipment in all vehicles. As a result, Volvo Cars made the safety belt accessible to all drivers and passengers.

Volvo takes great pride in the heritage of the company and respects the altruistic deed of making the Volvo safety belt accessible to everyone. Whenever you drive, take a minute to think about what this innovation achieved for the vehicle and what it meant for your safety wherever you go anywhere in the globe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who invented the Seat Belt?

The safety belt was first developed by Volvo Cars.

There are numerous safety features available on modern automobiles, including advanced airbag systems and suites of driver-assist safety features, which enable us to keep our eyes on the road and our hands on the wheel. However, none of these safety features has come close to saving as many lives as the seat belt that comes standard on Volvo vehicles. It is possible that this is the single most essential safety element that has ever been developed for automobiles.

Who was the first carmaker to market a seat belt with three points?

The first vehicle to be delivered with the modern three-point seat belt system was a Volvo, and it was sold to a customer in Sweden on August 13, 1959. This event is considered a watershed moment in the history of the automobile industry.

The company Volvo Cars are credited for inventing the seat belt and then swiftly making their creation accessible to people all over the globe in the hope of preventing deaths. When the amount of people whose lives it has impacted is taken into consideration, the Volvo seat belt emerges as the clear winner as the best car safety item ever developed.

When did automobiles start mandating the use of seat belts?

Despite the fact that Volvo Cars was the company that came up with the idea in 1959 for the seat belt, it wasn’t until 1968 that all cars sold in the United States were required to have seat belts installed.

Because of the significant number of people whose lives it has the potential to save, the Volvo seat belt patent is open to anybody who wants to utilize it. The Volvo seat belt celebrated its 60th birthday in 2019 and it was estimated that it has helped save the lives of over one million people.

How often should people have their seat belts replaced?

Because there is no simple way to determine how an older seatbelt is going to perform in the event of a collision, it is recommended that you have the seat belts inspected every 10–15 years and replaced if necessary.

How many lives are saved every year by seat belts?

In 2019, over half of all fatalities that were the result of an accident involving a passenger car occurred when the victim was not wearing a seat belt. The three-point seat belt, which has been around since the inception of the Volvo seat belt in 1959, is credited with saving the lives of more than one million people over the course of the last 60 years and the number continues to rise.

The Bottom Line

When looking for your new car, you should consider all the safety and security features, such as the seat belts which have saved more than a million lives since its inception. Thanks to the generous spirit of Volvo some six decades ago!

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