Belt and Braces: Volvo Reinvents Seatbelt Safety with a Smarter, More Adaptive Design

As the auto industry races toward advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving technology, one might assume there’s little room left to innovate when it comes to traditional safety features. Volvo begs to differ.

Next year, the brand will introduce its new-generation intelligent safety belt in the EX60, marking a major step forward more than six decades after Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt—and famously made the patent open to all car manufacturers.

This latest version is described as the world’s first multi-adaptive safety belt, offering superior protection compared to current systems. It continuously adjusts using real-time data from both interior and exterior sensors, reacting to driving conditions and the physical characteristics of the occupant.

The system considers a person’s height, weight, body shape, and seating position. Heavier occupants are restrained with a higher belt load setting, while lighter ones experience reduced tension to minimize the risk of rib injuries.

Instead of the usual three load-limiting profiles, Volvo’s new belt features 11 different force levels, allowing for precise control over how much restraint is applied during an impact. Since no two crashes are identical — each varies by speed, direction, and passenger posture — the belt system analyzes these factors within milliseconds and selects the most appropriate configuration.

The design builds on over 50 years of safety research and a database containing real-world accident data from more than 80,000 occupants. As with other modern Volvo systems, it can receive over-the-air updates, enabling continuous refinement as new information becomes available.

This innovative belt is part of Volvo’s broader “safety ecosystem,” seamlessly integrated with airbags, occupant detection, and driver-assist technologies. Tested extensively at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, it reportedly exceeds global safety standards.

The original three-point belt was developed by Volvo’s first safety engineer, Nils Bohlin, who previously designed safety harnesses for Saab aircraft pilots. Before his invention, Volvo used two-point diagonal belts — a system later deemed inadequate.

Earlier U.S. patents from the 1950s described similar concepts for aircraft, but those designs had a flaw: a buckle positioned over the abdomen, which could cause severe internal injuries in a crash. Bohlin solved this by moving the buckle to the side and securing the belt across the torso — a simple yet revolutionary idea.

And the rest, as they say, is history. What began as a groundbreaking invention in 1959 continues to evolve — proving that even the most established safety feature can still be reimagined.