Three-Point Car Seat Belt
The three-point car seat belt is a very innovative car safety feature, that is found in all cars. The feature was first introduced in 1959 by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. Volve PV544 and Amazon 120s were the cars that used this safety feature for the very first time. Ever since the introduction of three-point seat belt, it has played an important role in protecting the lives of car passengers on the road. According to survey, it ensures 50 percent better chances of surviving during a car accident.
Three-point safety belt has three mountings, two at either side of the occupant’s lap and one behind the shoulder, which is either attached to the seat or the car’s body. The main purpose of having three-point seat belt in a car is to effectively catch and restrain its passengers in the seat. The belt works on the principle of inertia. It keeps the driver from flying through the windshield and the dashboard in case of an accident or a sudden stop or acceleration. A seat belt is characterized by elasticity, means the driver can lean down even when the belt is buckled up.
In the last fifty years, with the introduction of modern technologies, three-point seat belts have seen several modifications. However, the basic design remains the same. Pre-tensioners mark one of the most important innovations in three-point seat belts. They work in conjunction with the conventional locking mechanism of the three-pointed seat belt. Further, these are backed by crash sensors, which determine when the airbag is needed to be deployed in case of an accident. As soon as the pre-tensioners receive any such signal from the crash sensors, they tension the belt against the driver’s body in order to reduce the gap between the belt and the body. The primary function of these pre-tensioners is to tighten any slack in the three-point seat belt, which helps the belt to restrain the body at the earliest and reduce the chances of injury.
