Latest news with #safetybelt
Auto Blog
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Volvo EX60 Debuts Smart Seatbelt That Adapts to Your Body
Volvo EX60 to Launch World's First Multi-Adaptive Safety Belt Most of us take seatbelts for granted, until an accident occurs and this life-saving technology does its job. Now, over six decades since Volvo introduced the three-point safety belt, the Swedish automaker known for its exceptional safety technologies is set to again introduce the next phase of intelligent seatbelt design. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:00 2025 Ford Maverick: 4 reasons to love it, 2 reasons to think twice Watch More Dubbed the first multi-adaptive safety belt in the world, the new tech will debut in 2026 on the electric EX60, a crossover that will slot in below the existing EX90. This multi-adaptive belt has several innovations that further improve the effectiveness of the modern seat belt, but it'll require Volvo to process more information about each occupant than we've seen before. Seatbelt Tech Adjusts to Your Weight and Posture No car accident is exactly the same. Whether it's the direction or speed of the crash, or the size of the individuals in the car, there are multiple variables that impact the efficacy of seatbelts. As most seatbelts function in the same way, they can't account for these variables, so they can't provide equal protection in all scenarios – that's where Volvo's smart new belt comes in. Using a range of interior and exterior sensors, the new multi-adaptive belt from Volvo can adapt to different traffic scenarios, while also altering its load settings based on the size and shape of the person behind the wheel. The sensors process data like passenger posture, weight, height, and body shape, as each factor determines how the seatbelt should perform. New multi-adaptive safety belt – exploded view — Source: Volvo In the event of a serious crash, a higher belt load setting is applied if a larger occupant is seated, as this can lower the chances of a serious head injury. On the other hand, smaller occupants in a less severe crash will get a lower belt load setting, as this can reduce the chance of rib fractures. 'The world first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives,' says Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Center. 'This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives.' Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. For people living in states with more dangerous roads, these new seatbelts can add some welcome peace of mind. New multi-adaptive safety belt — Source: Volvo Multi-Adaptive Seatbelt Will Get Better Over Time Thanks to over-the-air software updates, Volvo can continuously improve the new seatbelt over time, based on the amount of data it can analyze. New scenarios can be prepared for and different response strategies developed. Even in its existing form, the multi-adaptive belt is a vast improvement when compared with other three-point belts. The load-limiting profiles for the new seatbelt have been increased from three to 11. Volvo says the belt was tested at the Volvo Cars Safety Center crash lab, which has been in existence for 25 years, as of 2025. Volvo Cars Safety Centre Crash Lab — Source: Volvo Volvo EX60 Design and Platform Previewed Ahead of 2026 Launch The future EX60 was teased in clay model form earlier this year, and based on the little we've seen of it, it will bear a close resemblance to the smaller EX30. It will also be the first Volvo on the brand's SPA3 platform, which hosts a structural battery integrated into the floor. At a lower price point than the three-row EX90, we expect the EX60 to be a strong seller for the brand. It will arrive in 2026, likely as a 2027 model. Source: Volvo Cars/YouTube About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
Motor 1
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Volvo's Smart New Seatbelt Adapts to Your Body
Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point safety belt in 1959, and the company gave away the patent for free. It's estimated that the invention has saved more than one million lives. Now, the Swedish automaker aims to take seatbelt technology to the next level. Debuting in the EX60 electric crossover next year, Volvo's new smart seatbelt is designed to enhance safety by adapting to each occupant's body, with the ultimate goal of saving millions more lives. Sensors throughout the cabin relay information to the seatbelt system, which can respond 'in less than the blink of an eye' in the event of an accident. Based on real-time data, the adaptive seatbelt selects the optimal configuration to maximize protection. According to Volvo , the onboard sensors can accurately detect a passenger's height, weight, body shape, and seating position. Additional inputs from exterior and crash sensors help the system determine the direction of impact and adjust accordingly. The adaptive seatbelt is also future-proof, engineered to support over-the-air updates. Yes, even a seatbelt will receive software upgrades in the near future. Compared to current Volvo seatbelts, the new system increases the number of load-limiting profiles from three to eleven, offering a wider range of automatically selected settings to improve safety across all body types. Co-developed with German automotive supplier ZF, the 'multi-adaptive safety belt' also incorporates AI to determine the best settings during a crash. It even adjusts to changing traffic conditions to reduce the risk of serious injury further. Volvo remains committed to its ambitious vision of zero traffic fatalities, and this next-generation seatbelt marks another step toward that goal. Given Volvo's longstanding focus on safety, this smart seatbelt is likely to expand across the entire vehicle lineup. While the EX60 will debut the technology, most, if not all, future models are expected to benefit from it. Volvo adaptive seatbelt 11 Source: Volvo The Latest From Volvo: The New Volvo XC70 Betrays Its Wagon Roots 2026 Volvo S90 Finally Revealed—Here's What's New Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Volvo Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Car
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Volvo's done it again! Inventor of the modern seatbelt reveals a new belt that knows how big you are
Volvo has invented a new type of seatbelt that could dramatically improve in-car safety - again. The firm, which pioneered the use of the three-point belt, has revealed a new 'multi-adaptive safety belt', which uses sensors to analyse an occupant's height, weight, body shape and seating position and responds accordingly in the event of a crash. A larger occupant will receive a higher belt load, Volvo said, to reduce the risk of head injury, while it will respond less severely to smaller passengers to lessen the impact on their ribs. The system – developed in collaboration with ZF Lifetech – will also respond differently according to the nature of the impact, gathering data from around the car "in less than the blink of an eye" to determine how much force the seatbelt should apply. Today's seatbelts use load limiters to change the amount of force applied by the seatbelt, with three 'load-limiting profiles' available. Volvo's new device ups that to 11. The new Volvo EX60 electric SUV, due next year, will be first to feature the new belts, and Volvo said over-the-air software updates will mean "it gets better over time". As Volvo gathers more crash safety data, "the car can improve its understanding of the occupants, new scenarios and response strategies". Åsa Haglund, who runs Volvo Cars' Safety Centre, said: "The world first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives. 'This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives.'
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘Zero deaths': new tech to change cars forever
Some 66 years and a more than million lives saved since engineer Volvo's Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt, the Swedish brand has once again reinvented the humble seat belt with an adaptive restraint system that adjusts to your body shape to lower risk of injury. Primed to be introduced on next-year's mid-size all-electric Volvo EX60 SUV, the next-gen multi-adaptive belt was developed following real-world accidents saw a higher risk of injury for those unfortunates among us not built like mister or misses average. Painstakingly analysing data from over 80,000 people involved in real-life accidents globally over the last five decades, Volvo found that tall occupants were particularly exposed to head injuries, while smaller drivers and passengers were prone to painful fractured ribs. A rethink was needed, that prompted Volvo engineers to introduce an advanced adaptive safety belt. This belt tailors its responses to those onboard to minimise injury following an impact and the clever pioneering tech works even before you've placed your bum on seat. SNEAKY SAFETY Sneakily using a combination of interior and exterior sensors, the Volvo accurately sizes you up by measuring your height, weight, body shape and then takes account of your seating position and posture. While modern safety belts already use load limiters to control forces applied on the human body, the new tech broadens the profile of responses from three- to a Spinal Tap-sounding 11, matching each setting to the individual on board. The belts are now so clever that they even act differently depending on the direction or speed of the vehicle. The result is a restraint system that dishes out higher belt loads for larger occupants that reduces the chance of a head injury, while lighter passengers receive lower belt loads to slash the risk of painful cracked ribs. It's not just weight or height Volvo boffins have catered to. A broad spectrum of load-limiting profiles for whatever shape you are, even includes the heavily pregnant and (thanks to nifty over-the-air software updates) the tech will only get more sophisticated as it matures. Forever at the forefront of safety, the beauty of the original three-point safety belt was not just how effective it was in the Volvo Amazon sedan back in 1959 but how the Swede firm effectively gave the patent away for free, with neither its inventor nor carmaker earning a cent from its use in other brands. DEMOCRATISATION OF SAFETY Further innovations over the years that have democratised safety include the rear-facing child seat (1972), that mimicked how astronauts were positioned for takeoff, the booster cushion (1978) that literally boosted comfort and safety for seat-belt-wearing kids and advanced driver assist tech that includes blind-spot detection (2003) and an early collision avoiding form of autonomous emergency braking that dates back to 2008. Volvo declared that it remains committed to its goal that by 2030 it aims to prevent any fatal or serious injury in its cars, with the ultimate aim of no collision in any of its vehicles. While the world's first mandatory seat belt laws were introduced back in 1970 in Victoria, the rest of the world was much slower to recognise the benefits of the lifesaving tech. In the United States, even up until the mid-1980s, seat belt laws triggered protests over claims they violated civil rights. Today, only the small state of New Hampshire does not require occupants to wear seat belts while driving a vehicle.
The Verge
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Verge
Volvo's new seatbelts use real-time data to adapt to different body types
Volvo is looking to boost its reputation for safety with the release of a new 'multi-adaptive safety belt' that uses real-time data from the vehicle's sensors to better protect the person wearing it. Seatbelt technology hasn't changed much since Volvo patented one of the first modern three-point safety belts in the early 1960s. But cars have changed significantly, adding sensors, cameras, and high-powered computers to power advanced driver assist features and anti-crash technology. Now, Volvo wants to put those gadgets to work for seatbelts. Modern safety belts use load limiters to control how much force the safety belt applies on the human body during a crash. Volvo says its new safety belt expands the load-limiting profiles from three to 11 and increases the possible number of settings, enabling it to tailor its performance to specific situations and individuals. This embedded content failed to load. As such, Volvo can use sensor data to customize seatbelts based on a person's height, weight, body shape, and seating position. A larger occupant, for example, would receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the risk of a head injury in a crash, while a smaller person in a milder crash would receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures. During a crash, Volvo says its vehicles' safety systems will share sensor data — such as direction, speed, and passenger posture — with multi-adaptive seatbelts to determine how much force to apply to the occupant's body. And using over-the-air software updates, Volvo promises that the seatbelts can improve over time. Volvo has previously deviated from traditional practices to introduce new technologies meant to underscore its commitment to safety. The company limits the top speed on all of its vehicles to 112 mph — notably below the 155 mph established by a 'gentleman's agreement' between Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW to reduce the number of fatalities on the Autobahn.
