Volvo, the inventor of the modern seat belt, has done it again with a new design

You might know Volvo as the car brand flying the flag for Sweden.

What you might not know is just how important Volvo is.

The Swedish brand is responsible for making the car industry a lot safer when it invented the seat belt.

And it appears to be repeating that feat once again.

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Volvo is a brand that, in many ways, does not get the credit it deserves.

Sweden’s premier marque has always had a heavy focus on the safety of its cars.

As far back as the late 1920s, Volvo was testing brakes on all four of the car’s wheels.

But the 1950s would see the brand change the car world forever – and save millions of lives in the process.

Since the dawn of the car industry, the notion of a seatbelt has been pretty consistent.

The earliest concepts and designs fastened across the lap of the driver.

It was a good start, but it could still prove quite dangerous in the event of a crash.

Volvo decided to introduce an improvement – and changed the world forever.

1959 would see engineer Nils Bohlin invent the three-point seatbelt.

It essentially used the existing strap across the lap model, but made it much better.

Bohlin added a second strap across the chest that would meet the strap across the driver’s lap.

The two belts met at a uniform point to form a triangular, three-pointed seat belt.

Such an invention would prove to change the world of car safety forever.

But what is even more fascinating is the fact that Volvo never trademarked their invention.

Instead of profiting from Bohlin’s work, the marque insisted that the design be made free to everyone.

It is estimated that the three-point seat belt has saved over one million lives since its invention.

And now, Volvo is back to reinvent the world of car safety once again.

Sweden’s premier brand is introducing a brand-new seat belt system in 2026.

Debuting with the new XC60, the upcoming system is a remarkable evolution in safety.

The maker plans to use advanced data sensors to adapt the levels of safety provided to the driver.

Essentially, its cars will use internal and external data sensors to customize the protection offered to the driver using various, real-time factors.

For example, a larger driver will receive a higher belt load setting to reduce the risk of serious injury.

By contrast, a smaller occupant involved in a minor crash would receive an adjusted load setting to avoid breaking their ribs.

It is expected that, with regular software updates, Volvo’s new seat belt safety software will only improve and develop over time.

It could be the biggest change to the seat belt since, well, Volvo’s own seat belt.