| Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, it wasn't | | | | years for other car manufacturers to climb on board |
| uncommon to see children hanging out of car | | | | with the idea and it was a rarity until later in the 20th |
| windows, or traveling in the back of a pickup truck | | | | century. Volvo can also be credited with unveiling the |
| without any safety restraints. Often, more people | | | | three-point seat belt in 1959 which is now the standard |
| were crammed into a car than could be considered | | | | for belts in automobiles. Around this time, the other |
| safe. However, these are fond memories many | | | | manufacturers began to offer them as a standard |
| people have about their childhoods, especially when it | | | | option for their customers. Finally, by the 1970's the |
| came to long family road trips. Wearing seat belts was | | | | government started to pay closer attention to the |
| not the norm back in the day and we often take for | | | | safety advantages of seat belts but any sort of |
| granted the safety advancements that have been | | | | legislation was slow to respond with government |
| made in the last 50 years. | | | | regulations. The first country to require the use of a |
| There are two common types of safety belts that | | | | safety belt by law, was Australia. Many additional |
| come equipped in automobiles these days. These two | | | | countries followed their lead and by the late 80's, it |
| styles are the lap belt and the three-point belt. Often | | | | became common practice around the world. |
| times, you'll see a lap belt in the middle seat where a | | | | The safety benefits of seat belts have been evident |
| shoulder connection isn't available. The three-point belts | | | | from the very beginning, however, the information was |
| are located on the side seats. A lap belt is a simple, | | | | always based around adult passengers and drivers. |
| single strap that reaches across the hip area and it | | | | Not until much later were any studies conducted to |
| serves to keep people secured to their seat during an | | | | research the safety of seat belts in regards to child |
| accident. A three-point seat belt has a lap belt | | | | passengers. It wasn't until the 1980's that it was even |
| connected to a shoulder strap that runs diagonally | | | | considered that child and adult passengers would have |
| across the body. This style of seat belt provides more | | | | different safety needs. Through recent studies, they |
| side protection in the event of an accident, along with | | | | found that children secured with a seat belt designed |
| keeping you from being thrown from the vehicle. | | | | for an adult actually have a higher rate of injury. These |
| These are the most common styles of safety belts in | | | | findings have sparked laws that now require children |
| cars, although many other styles exist in alternative | | | | of a certain age and size to be placed in child-specific |
| vehicles. Race cars will use a very more secure 6 | | | | safety restraints such as a car seat. Luckily, modern |
| point harness whereas airplane pilots use an even | | | | vehicles come equipped with advanced seat belt |
| more restrictive 7 point harness to strap them in. | | | | technology and government laws require the use of |
| The history of safety belts dates all the way back to | | | | seat belts. Wearing your seat belt and putting your |
| the 1800's with patents issued in the later 19th century. | | | | children in safety restraints specific to their size is the |
| However, Volvo was the first manufacturer to offer it | | | | easiest and most effective way to protect yourself in |
| in their vehicles in 1949. Unfortunately, it took many | | | | the event of a car accident. |