Volvo unveils seatbelt that adapts to every body

Volvo Cars has revealed the world’s first seatbelt designed to adapt to your body and the specific crash scenario, before it even happens.

This new multi-adaptive safety belt, set to launch with the fully electric Volvo EX60 in 2026, uses real-time data to tailor its response to the person wearing it. That means the seatbelt won’t just restrain you: it will understand your size, posture, and even what kind of crash is happening, then adjust its tension to help keep you safer.

Why does this matter? Because no two people, or crashes, are alike.

For example, a larger adult involved in a high-speed crash may need stronger belt resistance to protect their head, while a smaller person in a minor collision may require less force to avoid rib injuries. Today’s seatbelts can’t distinguish between those situations, but Volvo says their new system can.

“This is a major upgrade to the modern seatbelt,” says Åsa Haglund, who heads Volvo’s Safety Centre. “By using real-time data, we’re moving from one-size-fits-all safety to something more personal, and more effective.”

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How does it work?

The system gathers data from sensors inside and outside the car, monitoring things such as the direction and speed of a crash, the passenger’s body position, and other variables. In milliseconds, it chooses from an expanded range of settings – up to 11 different belt force profiles – adjusting how the seatbelt behaves to match the needs of each occupant.

Similarly to a smartphone, the system will receive over-the-air updates, meaning it can learn and improve over time. As Volvo collects more data, the seatbelt’s responses can be refined. This will make the technology smarter the longer you drive the car.

This new belt will also work in tandem with the EX60’s airbags, crash detection, and driver assistance systems to create what Volvo calls a ‘harmonised safety ecosystem.’ It’s not just about one feature: it’s about how everything works together in the critical moments before, during, and after a crash.

Why it matters to you

The three-point seatbelt, as we know it today, was invented by Volvo in 1959 and is estimated to have saved more than a million lives since. But car safety has long relied on averages such as average body types, average scenarios. The new system aims to protect a wider range of people, in a wider range of situations.

If you’ve ever felt like safety features weren’t made for someone your size, age, or body shape, Volvo’s new technology hopes to address this.

The technology will debut in the EX60, paving the way for a future where car safety is personalised – one where the car responds to you, not just the road.

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