Invented by Volvo engineer, Automotive Hall of Fame, and National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee Nils Bohlin in 1958 and patented in 1959, the 3-point safety belt has remained one of Volvo’s largest accomplishments in the field of safety engineering since the company’s inception. 2009 marks the 50th year since the first 3-point harness was installed in the Volvo PV 544 and impressively, Volvo is still at the forefront of automotive safety technology. “This is a great day in the history of automotive safety,” said Doug Speck, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “While the three-point safety belt was not the first safety innovation from Volvo, it certainly has proved to be the most prolific. There really is a little piece of Volvo in every car on the road.”

Continued Speck, “From Nils Bohlin’s invention 50 years ago to City Safety this year, we never stop looking for ways to keep passengers safe. Volvo has always safeguarded the passengers inside its vehicles, and with the introduction of Pedestrian Detection technology in the S60 concept car, our vehicles will be able to detect pedestrians outside the vehicle and reduce the vehicle’s speed if the driver does not react to a pedestrian in the roadway.”

Heard later off record: “So suck it, Toyota.”

Source: Volvo