Ford Working on Two New Seat Belts

Ford showed off two new seat belt systems earlier this week that it hopes will be ready for production by the end of the decade. The first concept is a four-point seatbelt for front passengers. Unlike traditional belts, the four-point belts go over both shoulders and meet with another belt over the lap. Four-point belts are currently illegal, so not only will Ford need to perfect the technology, it will also have to petition the government to change its rules.

The second seat belt concept would incorporate airbags into rear seat belts. They’d be triggered to expand at the same time the standard airbags in the front activate. We’re not sure if either concept will ever take hold. The four-point belt would be especially hard to integrate into mainstream consciousness.

[Buckling Down, AutoWeek]