Ford introduces first inflatable seatbelts to on the European car market

Increased rear seat safety for Ford Mondeo in Europe

American car manufacturer Ford recently announced the European launch of the auto industry’s first ever inflatable seatbelts. Next year the Ford Mondeo will be the first vehicle on the European car market equipped with this technology.

The inflatable seatbelts are designed to provide additional protection to the rear seat occupants of vehicles, which are often children and older passengers, and help avoid head trauma as well as chest and neck injuries.

Previous success of inflatable seatbelts on other car markets

The technology was introduced on the American vehicle market in the Ford Explorer in 2011. It was an instant success in the U.S. as over 40 % of drivers who purchased the Ford vehicles, chose inflatable seatbelts as an option. Now the technology is set to be released on the European car market.

Why are inflatable seatbelts safer?

In case of a car accident, the inflated seatbelt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt, which expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck.

After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the airbag. The use of cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction – which is typical of traditional airbag systems – means the inflated seatbelts feel no warmer on the wearer’s body than the ambient temperature.

An added bonus is that, according to Ford’s research, 90 % of people who had tested the inflatable seatbelts in a Ford vehicle agreed that they were more comfortable than a conventional seatbelts because they were padded and felt softer.

Source: Ford Press release