Creation of the seat belt
The development of the seat belt dates back to the 1950s. In the years before the introduction of the seat belt, vehicles were mainly protected by sturdy constructions, such as sturdy dashboards and sturdy seats. However, in the 1950s, engineers began experimenting with the idea of ​​protecting a vehicle's occupants by means of a belt that automatically tightened in the event of a crash.
Seat belt patent
One of the first patents for a seat belt was issued in the United States in 1952 to Roger W. Griswold and Hugh DeHaven. Their design was a three-point seat belt that automatically tightened in the event of a crash. However, it took several years before the seat belt was accepted as a standard safety feature in vehicles.
Start of installing seat belts in new vehicles
In the 1960s, car manufacturers began installing seat belts in their vehicles, but these were often seen as an optional extra. However, in the 1970s, state and national governments began introducing legislation mandating seat belts in new vehicles. As a result, the seat belt is now a standard safety feature in almost all new vehicles.
Seat belt innovations
Finally, more and more innovative forms of seat belts are being developed today, such as the so-called "pretension" seat belts that automatically tighten when the driver presses the brake pedals, or the so-called "airbag belts", which tighten as soon as the airbags inflate in the event of a crash .