Categories: This Day

July 10, 1962 – The three point seat belt is patented

Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin received a US patent for his three-point automobile safety belt “for use in vehicles, especially road vehicles” on this day in 1962. Volvo had hired Bohlin four years earlier as the company’s first chief safety engineer. At that time, seatbelts were rarely used outside of auto racing because the common lap belt system of the era often resulted in internal injuries in accidents.

Above: 1963 Volvo P1800.
Top: Nils Bohlin demonstrating his invention. Courtesy Volvo. By Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

To remedy the problem Bohlin designed the three point seat belt system still used today. The primary advantage of Bohlin’s design is its ability to secure both the upper and lower parts of the body in a collision. The design would become standard in all production automobiles by the end of the 1970s. Bohlin made this possible by releasing the rights to his patent, allowing other automakers the opportunity to use it and ensure the safety of motorists everywhere.

Brian Corey

Recent Posts

April 16, 2014: Mazda Honors a Quarter-Century of Driving Joy with the 25th Anniversary MX-5 Miata

By Alexander-93 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132180377 On April 16, 2014, the vibrant…

2 days ago

April 15, 1964 – Who bought the first Mustang?

On this day in 1964, two days before the official Ford Mustang on-sale date, one…

3 days ago

April 8, 2004: A Million Strong – The Skoda Fabia and the Legacy of Czech Ingenuity

Skoda Fabia VRs. By Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - Skoda Fabia vRS, CC BY…

1 week ago

April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies

Henry Ford, with son Edsel, standing with the 15 millionth Ford and the original Quadricycle.…

2 weeks ago

April 6, 1904 – VW Beetle & Porsche 356 designer Erwin Komenda is born

Sure, Ferdinand Porsche often gets the credit for the Volkswagen Type 1, but let's not…

2 weeks ago

April 5, 1951 – Dean Kamen, Segway inventor, is born

Dean Kamen on a Segway, one of his many inventions. By Jared C. Benedict on…

2 weeks ago