Buckle Up For belt Bags

Is this the end for front airbags? A new device that turns ordinary seatbelts into miniature safety nets could see them abandoned.

Auto Express Car Reviews

23rd March 2005

The invention comes from safety company Autoliv. The net is stored in the seatbelt's catch unit near the car's handbrake. When sensors detect a head-on collision, two sausage-shaped airbags explode out and move across the occupant. One rides over the waist belt, while the other slides up the shoulder.

Connected to both is a triangular web of strong fibres, which spreads out to cover the occupant's chest and stomach. Autoliv's Jan Huibert Valkenburg claims it holds passengers in place, eliminating the need for front airbags.

There's an extra benefit, too. Replacing airbags after they have been deployed in an accident can add hundreds of pounds to repair bills, possibly even pushing the cost beyond the vehicle's write-off value.

The price to replace a new seatbelt catch unit system would be far lower. Although the set-up has been patented, don't expect to see it appear in cars for several years. Current laws specify vehicles must have airbags, and there would have to be huge changes in legislation before the seatbelt safety net replaces current technology.