Autoliv (ALV), a provider of automotive safety systems, has unveiled a new seatbelt concept, to further enhance vehicle occupant safety.
The new seatbelt system, currently being launched on Renault's Twizy electric vehicle, adds the traditional 3-point seatbelt with a 2-point belt, which will see that both shoulders of the vehicle occupant are strapped in.
The additional 2-point shoulder belt will facilitate to distribute the crash load on the occupant over a wider area, further reducing rib-strain by half.
It will additionally protect the occupant in all directions, during oblique crashes and in crashes with a small overlap between the front-ends of the colliding vehicles, in particular crashes involving a small car.
Autoliv said that the new seatbelt system will offer enhanced safety in side-impact collisions, preventing an occupant from being thrown or sliding out of a 3-point seatbelt, and the company claims the additional seat belt will reduce the risk for severe injuries by 30%.
