Which Volvo engineer invented the modern three-point safety belt?

Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point safety belt.

Bohlin joined Volvo in 1958 after working at Saab, where he helped develop aircraft ejection seats. Drawing on that experience, he designed a restraint that would hold both the upper body and the pelvis while remaining simple enough for ordinary drivers and passengers to use correctly.

Volvo introduced Bohlin’s three-point belt in 1959. Its diagonal shoulder strap and lap belt form a Y-shaped arrangement that spreads crash forces across the chest, pelvis, and shoulders instead of concentrating them at one point. The design was fitted as standard equipment and quickly became a model for the modern automotive seat belt.

A common mix-up is confusing Bohlin with earlier belt inventors. Two-point belts and earlier three-point concepts existed before his work; Bohlin’s major contribution was refining the arrangement into the practical, effective system used in production cars. Volvo made the patent available to other manufacturers at no charge, accelerating worldwide adoption. Bohlin’s Swedish accident study examined 28,000 crashes and helped demonstrate the belt’s life-saving value.