Autoliv Inc. – the global leader in automotive safety
systems – announces a new adaptable seatbelt for improved safety for all
occupants, especially children. This unique new seat belt can substantially
reduce the load on small occupants while also improving the protection for
larger occupants. It is a purely mechanical solution that offers adaptability
to the occupant size and the severity of a crash at a reasonable cost.
The new seatbelt retractor can tune its restraining force
individually to each vehicle occupant and the crash severity – without any
sensor. The new adaptive retractor has also proven to provide additional safety
for full-sized passenger as the seatbelt webbing is released in a softer way
after the crash, reducing the “rebound effect”.