The first patent for a seatbelt in the U.S. was granted in 1885. The first retractable seatbelts were invented in 1946. We’ve come a long way in automotive safety in the last 130 years, but seatbelt use is still not at 100 percent.
This is despite the fact that wearing a seatbelt may mean the difference between life and death, despite laws mandating their use, and despite all new passenger cars being equipped with safety belts for decades. Far too many people still neglect their safety in the interest of comfort or convenience. [Read more…]