It is easy to take for granted that the three-piece seatbelt, now standard in all automobiles, was invented as recently as 1959. Even more remarkable is the fact that this innovation occurred some five decades after Henry Ford invented the Model T, America's first mass-produced automobile. Although it might seem strange today, cars did exist without seatbelts.
It is estimated that the modern seatbelt, designed by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin, has saved over one million lives. Not surprisingly, it is significantly safer to travel by car today as a result of his invention.
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