Nils Bohlin

Nils Ivar Bohlin was born on July 17, 1920, in Härnösand. Educated in mechanical engineering, he worked at Saab's aerospace division developing pilot ejection seats and cockpit harnesses during the 1950s.

In 1958, recruited by Volvo president Gunnar Engellau as safety director, Bohlin applied his aerospace kinetic insights to passenger automobiles. Over a year of intensive research, he designed the three-point seatbelt: a continuous strap running diagonally across the ribcage and horizontally across the pelvic lap, anchoring securely beside the seat. Patented in 1959, Volvo made the patent available freely to all competing automakers in the public interest. The German Patent Office named it one of the eight most significant inventions for humanity between 1877 and 1977.