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The simple three-point design was created by Nils Bohlin, who was an engineer at Volvo. This design was a big breakthrough, as up until this point seat belts were only two-point lap belts that didn’t securely hold in place the upper body during a crash.
In fact, Volvo actually opened up the patent so that any car manufacturer across the globe could copy this design. Alan Dessell, Volvo’s managing director said “The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety.”
Bohlin’s simple yet ingenious design had a perfect balance. It was simple enough for children to use, cheap enough that other car manufacturers would use and effective enough that it would save thousands of lives every year.
The next time you put your seatbelt on, save a thought for Nils Bohlin’s lifesaving creation.
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