28390
Mercedes-Benz's next luxury car to feature 'Belt Bag'
Posted on 24 Jul 20122,496 Views Comments
Inflatable seat belts will increase rear passenger safety
The seat belt has saved countless lives. Belt tensioners and belt force limiters have increased its effectiveness. Now, Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce a ‘belt bag’ in its next luxury car, and has worked with seat belt specialist Autoliv on its development.
A seat belt limits the movement of its wearer's torso during a collision, and subjects the body to considerable forces. The belt bag is a combination of a seat belt and an airbag. The inflatable seat belt strap will reduce the risk of injury to rear passengers in the case of a head-on collision by decreasing the strain on the rib cage. When the crash sensors detect a severe frontal impact, a gas generator inflates the multi-layered belt strap with Velcro seams to nearly three times its normal width. The larger surface area is able to better distribute the force acting on the passenger, reducing the risk of injury. It will be particularly beneficial for older passengers, whose rib cages are not so flexible.
The belt bag will be no different from a conventional seat belt, but will be more comfortable because of its wider design and soft edges, claims Mercedes. The belt bag and the active seat belt buckle will be introduced in the company’s next car with a particular view toward new markets, where rear seat occupancy rate is higher than in Europe. The belt bag may not be used for front seat occupants as all Mercedes cars have airbags in the front.
The belt bag was first showcased by Mercedes in its ESV (Experimental Safety Vehicle) based on the S-Class in 2009, as with all new technologies expect Mercedes to introduce the belt bag in the next egenration S-Class. Ford first used this technology as an available option on the 2011 Explorer XLT and Explorer Limited.
Do you like this story?
- Previous Story
- Next Story
Readers' opinions ( 0 )
Post a Comment
Post a CommentDaimler India Commercial Vehicle integrates Mercedes Benz Bus Division
by ET Photography: Kunal Khadse
With the current integration with DICV,...
John Abraham and WRC Champion Hannu Mikkola inaugurate MIMS 2013
by Rahul Basu Photography : Kunal Khadse
The Bollywood actor and the Rally car world...
Maruti to inspect car ACs for free at weekend service camp
Maruti Suzuki's "Beat The Heat" campaign will offer a host of free services to its...
Nissan India to recall Micra and Sunny
Faulty brake master cylinder causes Nissan to recall 22,188 units of the Micra hatchback and Sunny...
The Ferrari Way : Special Coverage
Ferrari has been voted as the most powerful brand in the world according to Brand Finance and the...
Chevrolet Enjoy : Special Coverage
Designed to take on everything from the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga to the Toyota Innova the Enjoy is...
