Volvo Cars has announced an exciting new advancement in vehicle safety — a revolutionary multi-adaptive safety belt designed to provide even better protection for passengers. This innovative safety belt, a world-first, will be introduced in the all-electric Volvo EX60, launching in 2026.
Unlike traditional seat belts, Volvo’s new safety belt adjusts in real-time to both the traffic conditions and the individual wearing it. Using information from the car’s advanced sensors inside and outside the vehicle, it customizes its settings based on factors like the passenger’s height, weight, body shape, and seating position.
For instance, in a serious crash, a larger passenger will experience a firmer belt tension to help protect their head, while a smaller passenger in a milder crash will have a gentler belt tension to lower the risk of rib injuries.
This enhanced protection is made possible by increasing the number of load-limiting profiles from three to eleven. Load limiters control how much force the belt applies during a crash to reduce injury. Plus, the belt’s software can improve over time through over-the-air updates, meaning its performance will get smarter and safer as more data is collected.
Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre, explains, “This multi-adaptive safety belt is a major step forward in automotive safety. It builds on Volvo’s legacy of safety innovations, including the modern three-point safety belt introduced in 1959, which has saved over a million lives.”
Volvo’s extensive safety research, based on over 80,000 real accident cases, has helped the company develop this new system. The technology analyzes crash details — like speed, direction, and passenger posture — in less than a blink of an eye to choose the safest belt setting for each unique situation.
The new safety belt works seamlessly with other safety features such as airbags and driver assistance systems, creating a comprehensive protection system that minimizes injury risk.
This technology has been rigorously tested at Volvo’s Safety Centre crash lab, where engineers recreate real-world accidents to ensure the highest safety standards. This facility has been central to Volvo’s position as a global leader in vehicle safety for 25 years.
In summary, Volvo’s multi-adaptive safety belt represents a major leap forward in keeping passengers safer on the road, adapting smartly to every individual and situation — with even more improvements expected in the future.
