They may never say it out loud, but current seat belts in cars strongly favor slim bodies. But because it is now 2024 and shame is no longer possible, belt supplier ZF is now introducing a new type of belt that is suitable for all body types, including people with a burgundy belly.
Until now, the Euro NCAP has always used crash dummies with standard sizes, ZF explains. The NCAP soon wants to tighten the crash requirements so that more attention is paid to the safety of, for example, heavier people. The new Multi-Stage Load Limiter belt (MSLL) should help make the car safer.
Better control of forces on the body
Modern cars tighten their seat belts when they think an accident is about to happen. Even more modern cars have a belt that tightens in two steps, which seems to be even better. The new MSLL belt can continue to adjust the tension during the crash. This allows the forces on the body to be better controlled, reducing the risk of injury.
“The system makes it possible to respond individually to people with different postures and to properly control the belt forces,” ZF says in a press release about the new belt. We immediately believe this, because a certain Rudolf Stark is the head of the security department. And if you have to believe anyone, it's Iron Man's brother.
The new belt technology is not only better for cuddly people. In low-speed collisions, the seat belt would again be safer for light and small people. The risk of injuries (including due to vulnerable bones) would also decrease for older people. Heavier people would be safer in high-speed collisions.
In the future, the car will measure the size of your stomach
ZF wants to go even further. In the future, a sensor may measure how far the belt has been pulled out, and therefore how large the passenger's circumference is. The belt tension can be adjusted with this information. Or ChatGPT can already find a personal trainer. The car can also use information from the internal cameras to check the position of the occupants in the event of a crash.
It is not yet known which car manufacturers will use ZF's technology. The stricter requirements for crash tests will apply from 2030, so by then cars will be equipped with MSLL. What will you notice? Hopefully nothing.
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