In an effort to gain wider market acceptance of new safety technologies, Ford Motor Company has made the decision to offer its inflatable seatbelt technology to other companies and industries, including the competition. The hope is that the availability of licenses will lead to wider adoption of the inflatable safety belts as the other automotive manufacturers look to enhance passenger safety. 

In addition, the technology is potentially applicable to other forms of seated-passenger transportation like military use and airborne helicopter/airplane passengers. 

“Ford’s longstanding commitment to democratizing technology goes beyond our customers,” said Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies. “In this case, the wider adoption of inflatable safety belts has the potential to make travel safer and help mitigate passenger injuries – especially among children and the elderly.”

The inflatable safety belts operate just like conventional belts – except in the instance of a crash, where the inflatable belt deploys over the occupants torso and shoulder to help distribute the crash forces over a much wider area – up to five times wider than a regular safety belt.

By spreading the pressure over a wider area, pressure is reduced on the passenger’s chest. it also helps to control head and neck motion, potentially lessening the damage caused by whiplash. 

The belts are currently available on Ford’s Explorer, Flex, Fusion, and the all-new 2015 F150, in addition to the Lincoln MKT and MKZ platforms for outboard second-row sating positions. 

The belts were originally introduced in 2010, and the company continues to look for ways to implement the technology on Ford and Lincoln brand vehicles. The technology is available through Ford’s Technology Licensing Portal.