Ford Introduces World's First Inflatable Seat Belt

By Andrew Davis on November 5, 2009

In a Web cast held on Nov. 5, Ford Motor Company announced a new "breakthrough technology" designed with the elderly and children in mind. Starting next year with the roll-out of its new generation of the Explorer, Ford will be adding an inflatable seat belt designed to inflate upon impact--as does a standard air bag.

"This is especially important for young children and the elderly," said Ford Senior Technical Leader Steve Rouhana. "Safety is a top priority for us at Ford, because we know it is a top priority for our customers."

The research into this technology began in 2001.

Ford expects to migrate this technology to additional models over the next few years. It has no plans to off this technology for use in the front seat.

The inflatable seat belts will not work with belt extenders or pet belts, but the company said it is investigating fixes for this issue.

Ford will announce the cost of this option when it is introduced in the Explorer next year, but claims it will be "very affordable."