What safety feature did Volvo invent in 1959?

Volvo introduced the three-point seatbelt in 1959.

The modern belt was developed by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin, who joined the company after working on ejector-seat restraints at Saab. His design combined a lap belt with a diagonal belt crossing the chest. A low anchor beside the seat allowed the belt to restrain the pelvis and upper body together, reducing the risk of occupants being thrown forward or slipping beneath the belt.

Volvo fitted the system as standard equipment in the Volvo PV 544 and Volvo Amazon on Nordic-market cars in 1959. The company made the patent available to other automakers without charging licensing fees, treating the safety benefit as more important than exclusive commercial rights. That decision helped the design become the global standard used in modern cars.

Volvo did not invent every earlier form of seatbelt: lap belts and experimental harnesses existed before Bohlin’s design. The important breakthrough was the practical, easy-to-use three-point arrangement. It is different from a crumple zone, airbag, or anti-lock braking system, all of which address crashes in other ways.