News from the inventor of the three-point seat belt in mass production: Volvo Cars will introduce the world's first multi-adaptive safety belt in the all-electric mid-size SUV Volvo EX60 starting in 2026.
The multi-adaptive belt uses real-time data from internal and external sensors, analyzes size, weight, body posture, and traffic situation – and adapts the retention force individually.
More protection through smart data use
The system reacts in milliseconds to every situation: For large occupants and severe accidents, it specifically increases the belt force to prevent head injuries. For smaller individuals or lighter collisions, it
reduces the pressure to avoid, for example, rib fractures. This is made possible by eleven load-limiting belt profiles – compared to three in conventional systems.
The adaptive belt communicates in real time with sensors for the interior, vehicle environment, and crash behavior. The vehicle calculates the optimal belt force within a blink of an eye – tailored to the accident scenario and passenger. Additionally, over-the-air updates continuously improve system performance and make the safety level future-proof.
Volvo Safety Center: 25 years of real safety
The belt was developed and tested in the Volvo Cars Safety
Center, one of the most modern crash laboratories in the industry. Here, engineers simulate real accident scenarios beyond legal requirements – with the goal of protecting real people as best as possible. More than 80,000 real accident data from five decades are incorporated into the development.
Safety ecosystem with system advantage
The new belt is an integral part of the Volvo safety ecosystem. It works in network with airbags, occupant recognition, and driver assistance systems. This combination maximizes the effectiveness of the restraint systems and minimizes consequential damage.
"The multi-adaptive safety belt is a turning
point – and shows how we can protect real lives with real-time data," says Åsa Haglund, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Center and adds:
"This continues our tradition: the three-point belt that Volvo introduced in 1959 has already saved over a million lives."
What does it mean?
Volvo once invented the three-point seat belt for mass production. And since then, safety has been at the forefront of its agenda – and has now just developed this system further. In the hope that it will save even more lives and reduce the severity of injuries.
