1.2.8 Security implementation
After the WWII, when the growth of car production started gaining unprecedented rates, the number of cars started growing exponentially. Cars became more comfortable, heavier, and more powerful. This led to very disastrous consequences, because with the growth of speeds, the number of car accidents increased. Statistics of deaths on the roads appeared, which screamed and begged for the introduction of any safety means.
But manufacturing companies refused to take any action, suggesting that the safety features would disrupt the car's aesthetics. With pain and misery, they started installing seat belts on cars. The first of them was an ordinary tissue tape that encircled a person. However, such a scheme did not solve all the problems, since in case of a collision a person could slip under the belt, hit his chest against the steering wheel and get injuries incompatible with life. Designer Niels Bohlin came up with the solution of this problem, and in 1959 the three point seat belt was introduced on the Volvo PV544 model, which was left unchanged to this day.
It is also worth mentioning designer Belo Bareni – the father of passive safety. He was the smartest person, thanks to whom the so-called deformation zones started appearing in the structure of the bodies, due to which the impact force was extinguished several times.
Figure 1.8 Example of effect of body deformation zones.
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