The Man Who Invented Seat Belts

Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin patented the three-point seatbelt while working for Volvo, on 17th August 1959. Prior to that, cars only had lap belts - basically a single strap across your waist - if they were fitted at all. Volvo made the patent open to all manufacturers, which boosted global take-up, and enhanced their Safety First brand image. But manufacturers and governments alike were surprisingly hostile to seatbelts at first... Some car owners in the U.S. even had them removed, claiming they were uncomfortable or might trap them if the car caught fire or sank in water. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how Australia led the way with mandatory seatbelt laws, while in Britain Margaret Thatcher and Michael Foot were both opposed; reveal which country has STILL not legislated nationally for compulsory seatbelts; and recall the terrifying impact of public service ads like the infamous “Julie” campaign… Further Reading: • ‘How Did Nils Bohlin Change the Auto Industry? (Inventor of the Three-Point Seatbelt)’ (The Collector, 2024): https://www.thecollector.com/inventor-nils-bohlin-change-auto-industry/ • ‘US3043625A - Safety belt’ (Google Patents): https://patents.google.com/patent/US3043625A/en • ‘How Do Seatbelts Work?’ (Real Engineering, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ncfcGMo50 Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices