Photo: Ford
Car manufacturer Ford is introducing innovative new seatbelts that inflate like airbags to give extra protection to passengers in the event of a collision.
Ford is fitting the back seats of vehicles with belts that inflate automatically during a crash.
Ford will be fitting the new seatbelts into the new Ford Explorer 4 x 4 which goes into production in 2010. Experts say the new technology will be particularly effective at preventing broken ribs, internal damage and bruising.
Inflating over the shoulder and torso in a mere 40 milliseconds, a cylindrical airbag stretches from the buckle to the shoulder and fits inside a pocket in the belt.
