Emily Chan
It might surprise you to know that seatbelts were actually first made for aircraft before they became a staple in cars. They didn’t really catch on with the public until the 1960s when seatbelt laws began to be established.
Clearly, the journey of keeping us safely strapped in for the ride has taken years to complete. The earliest seatbelts came about in the 19th century.
An English engineer named George Cayley created a seatbelt to use on his monoplane glider, an aircraft that was flown in the late 19th century. It was a simple lap belt that kept passengers in their seats during bumpy flights.
In 1885, Edward J. Claghorn of New York was given the first patent for his version of the “safety belt.” It looked like a modern-day harness for climbing.
Military pilots wore standardized restraint systems during World War I and World War II, but everyday people were not exposed to seatbelts until automobiles were common.
Cars became more widely available and affordable to Americans after Henry Ford developed mass production techniques for the manufacture of automobile parts.
A Wisconsin-based automobile company called Nash Motors Company was the first to offer seatbelts in cars in 1949. However, they were not popular, and most people ignored them.
As the number of car accidents started to rise by the mid-1950s, more leaders in the medical community pointed out that seatbelts saved lives. They could prevent severe injuries and fatalities if only people would actually wear them.
In 1955, inventors Roger Griswold and Hugh de Haven applied for a patent for a shoulder and lap safety belt. The belt restrained the passenger’s shoulders, torso, and hips. The buckle was fastened in the middle.
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