The first car safety feature in the car industry ‘seat belts’ turns 50 ensuring the protection of occupants as well as driver. Volvo cars were the first to get this safety device in 1959. During that time, no one had ever imagined that a simple innovation like this will continue to be tagged as one of the biggest life saver behind the wheel.

The three point seat belt was invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. It was first fitted in the car models PV544 and Amazon 120s sold in Nordic countries in Northern Europe. Since then, it has saved millions of life. Car passengers buckled with seat belts have 50% better chances of surviving during a car accident. There are no exact figures as to how many lives this safety feature has saved since its inception. But it has drastically reduced the number of road fatalities across the globe over the years.

Still in the modern era when a host of advanced safety features have been introduced, cars can be seen plying on roads fitted with safety belts. It is incredible that the legendary seat belt still holds its position in the market and continues its noble tradition of saving lives.

But a question arises is it facing a trouble time amidst various new safety devices in the market? There is one simple answer to this is ‘No’. No new car safety feature in the market has ever been able to overpower the significance of seat belts in terms of safety and even today the basic fundamental design of the seat belts is the same. The only difference is that they have witnessed few added innovations and minor modifications.

New technical solutions have interacted with seat belts to improve safety standards across the industry. Today, seat belts are loaded with pre-tensioners and force limiters for improved safety of car passengers. Wide and unavoidable use of safety belts around the globe will never make it loose it significance even if in the era of supercomputers and time machine.

Submitted By : Ashish Trivedi