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Ford to introduce inflatable seat belts
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Source: cnnmoney.com
November 06, 2009
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that it will begin equipping certain vehicles with inflatable seat belts that the company says will help prevent injuries in auto accidents. The inflatable rear seat belts will be available on the next generation Ford Explorer and will become more widespread over time, the company said in a press release. The belts contain an accordion-folded bag that fills with air in the event of a collision, much like a traditional car air bag. Ford said the belt's increased diameter helps spread the force of an impact across a wider area of the passenger's body, which dampens the pressure and reduces the risk of injury. It also helps limit head, neck and chest injuries by keeping passengers in the appropriate seating position.
markdewdney
11 days ago
110 comments
Actually, they're loath to install the belts in the front because the cumulative damage from the airbag plus a suddenly-inflating seat belt would FOCUS the pressure on sensitive areas - doing more damage than the airbag itself, which can already (and routinely does) inflict injury all by itself.
gfd2722005
12 days ago
468 comments
Glad to hear they finally came out with this. I went to a seminar about 4 years ago and they were discussing this then. I just wish they would also install the belts in the front seats as well. No harm to have an air bag and a seat belt with an air bag in the same spot.
fire852
13 days ago
186 comments
Good to know