The History of Seatbelts
- Elizabeth Snugovsky
- Jun 25
- 3 min read

Seatbelts have come a long way. In the last 70 years, they have transformed from simple, rarely used straps to indispensable pieces of safety equipment that are worn worldwide. The history of seatbelts is complex, with many twists and turns involving an increased need for safety, driver hesitation, and rapid innovation.
Seatbelt Origins
Seatbelts first got their start in aircraft. In the 1800s, English engineer George Cayley added a simple lap belt to his monoplane glider to secure passengers during turbulence and landings. By World War I and World War II, military pilots were using standardized restraint systems. However, the general public was not exposed to seatbelts until cars became a household staple.
Rapid Growth Calls for Technological Advancement
When Ford revolutionized the automobile industry by introducing mass production and standardized parts in the 1950s, vehicle ownership rates skyrocketed. To address the growing need for vehicular safety, the Nash Motors Company became the first company to include seatbelts in their vehicles in 1949. This new safety feature was not seen as a necessity and was rarely worn as a result. However, many medical leaders, such as Neurologist Dr. C. Hunter Sheldon, pushed for the use of seatbelts, saying that seatbelt usage would sharply decrease the ever-growing number of collision deaths they were seeing.
"There is no doubt that seatbelts in passenger cars will prevent many injuries and fatalities, if only the public will fasten them,” Sheldon wrote in his 1955 article. “At least one can be sure that until improved designs are available the public is not going to take full advantage of this means of safety."
In the following years, seatbelt technology advanced rapidly. In 1955, Roger Griswold and Hugh de Haven invented the first combined lap and shoulder belt, and in 1958, Glen Sheren created a seatbelt that would help vehicle doors remain closed during collisions.
The most important breakthrough came in 1959 with the invention of a three-point seatbelt by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. His invention was easy to use and secured your body at its strongest points: the shoulders, hips, and chest. The design was so successful that few modifications have been made to it since.
"From 1968 onwards, the three-point seatbelt was required on all newly manufactured American vehicles."
The modern day three-point seatbelt can greatly decrease your risk of injury when worn correctly. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, seatbelts decrease the risk of fatal injury by 60% in SUVs, vans, and pickups and 45% in passenger vehicles.
Seatbelts Today
Now that an ideal safety solution was created, all that was left was convincing people to wear it. In 1984, New York set a precedent by becoming the first state to enact a mandatory seat belt law. This new law allowed authorities to stop and ticket drivers for not wearing a seatbelt and had an immediate effect on driver behavior. In 1983, only 14% of vehicle occupants used seatbelts. By 1985, this statistic had jumped to 21%.
The success of New York’s seatbelt law caused other states to follow suit, and by 1994, all states had passed some form of seatbelt legislation.
Seatbelts are now seen as a vital part of driver safety. As of 2024, 91% of vehicle occupants wear a seatbelt. Next time you get behind the wheel, remember all the hard work that went into your seatbelt and always remember to buckle up.
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