Nils Ivar Bohlin was born on July 17, 1920, and died on September 26, 2002. He was a Swedish mechanical engineer and inventor who invented the three-point safety belt while working for Volvo.
Biography
Bohlin was born in Härnösand, Sweden. In 1939, he received a diploma in mechanical engineering from Härnösand Läroverk. In 1942, he began working for Saab, an aircraft company, as an aircraft designer. He helped develop ejection seats during this time. In 1958, he joined Volvo as a safety engineer. He is credited with inventing the modern three-point safety belt, which is now a standard feature in all cars.
Bohlin worked on the seat belt for about one year, using skills he gained while developing ejection seats for Saab. He focused on keeping drivers safe during car accidents. After testing the three-point safety belt, he shared his invention with Volvo in 1959 and received his first patent (number 3,043,625). In 1969, he led the Central Research and Development Department at Volvo.
In 1974, he was awarded the Ralph Isbrandt Automotive Safety Engineering Award. In 1989, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Safety and Health. In 1995, he received a gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. In 1999, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. He retired from Volvo as a Senior Engineer in 1985 and was later inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame after his death.
Bohlin died on September 26, 2002, at the age of 82, from a heart attack. He was buried at Torpa Church in Ramfall, Ydre Municipality, Sweden.
During his adult life, he was married to Maj-Britt Bohlin. He was the stepfather to Maj-Britt’s two sons and later had two children of his own. He had thirteen grandchildren.
Effects on history
The three-point seat belt made a big difference by helping prevent injuries during car crashes. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that seat belts save about 15,000 lives each year in the United States.
Bohlin showed how well the three-point seat belt worked by studying 28,000 car accidents in Sweden. He shared his findings at the 11th Stapp Car Crash Convention. People who did not wear seat belts had serious injuries at all crash speeds. However, people who wore seat belts were not killed in crashes that went under 60 mph. If the car’s inside part stayed safe, no one who wore a seat belt was killed. This study led to the U.S. Department of Transportation requiring three-point seat belts in American cars. In 1968, the new seat belt design was allowed for free use by the public. In most industrial countries, laws require people to wear seat belts.