Viddler

Safety belts (more commonly known as seat belts) were invented in the mid 19th Century by British engineer George Cayley — also the first person to understand the principles and forces of flight. The first person first person to be granted a patent to this early form of the safety device was Edward J. Claghorn, in 1885.

Today’s video involves modern version of the seat belt — the three-point seat belt. They cover the lap and shoulder with one continuous strap to protect the occupant(s) of a vehicle (namely cars) from flying out of their seat in the event of a crash. Many tests and iterations of the three-point seat belt occurred during the mid 1900s, and Volvo (known for their innovation in safety) first introduced the device in production cars in 1959.

There’s a fascinating history behind this device we all take for granted. The question is: Are you wearing yours?

I’m not too surprised by the statistics on the amount of people that don’t wear seat belts. I’ve seen friends, strangers, and even family fail to remember to put their seat belt on when they enter a car. I’ve grown up knowing that every car has a seat belt, and I feel very awkward not wearing one in a moving car.

Automotive TV (subscribe) is a fantastic resource for the latest news and technologies in the automotive industry. It’s created in Australia, but features information from around the world.

Remember: If you’d like to suggest a video to feature on the Viddler blog and front page, then please send me a message, link it up in our forums, or just comment on this post.