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CommentsFord is introducing an inflatable seat belt for back-seat passengers that it hopes will reduce injuries in front and side crashes.
The device initially will be available only as an option on the next-generation Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which goes into production in 2010. But safety experts say it has the potential to become widespread in the auto industry as car companies look for a marketing edge.
“The advancements in crash protection have focused a lot on front-seat occupants, and this is a way to better protect rear-seat occupants as well,” said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group that advocates higher auto-safety standards.
Much like a front-seat air bag, safety sensors measure the severity of a crash and quickly inflate the seat belts if needed. Each belt’s tubular air bag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows from a cylinder housed below the seat.
Los Angeles Times
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