The three-point seatbelt hits major milestone

It's one of the greatest inventions in the history of the automobile and this week it turned 50. It was on August 13 1959 that Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin (pictured, with bowtie) created the three-point seatbelt that has become a standard of every car in the world.

The Swedish car marker estimates that the three-point belt has saved over one million lives and countless serious injuries since its introduction. So important was the breakthrough technology that Volvo opened the patent to all rival car markers free of charge.

"The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo's guiding principle of safety," says Alan Desselss, managing director of Volvo Car Australia. "It's why we like to say there's a little bit of Volvo in every car."

Victoria was the first state in the world to enforce the wearing of seatbelts in 1970. Up until then the law only required they be installed. The statistics back up Volvo's claims with fatal accidents dropping 18 per cent in the first year of the legislation's introduction.

The three-point belt replaced Volvo's two-point seatbelt that was first introduced in 1957. In 1969 Volvo introduced the front inertia-reel seatbelts to improve safety and in 1971 added reminder lights across its entire range.

The following year saw the concept move to the rear seats before the middle rear seat three-point belt came about in 1986. Pre-tensioning technology was introduced in 1987and automatic height adjusting front belts entered the scene in 1991. Inertia-reel safety belts became standard in the rear in 1992.

Volvo continues to try and improve seatbelt safety with a four-point harness under evaluation as well as a belt that tightens and positions the driver in the event of an accident.

They may be making sexier cars these days, but Volvo clearly hasn't forgotten its safety focussed roots.

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