On July 10, 1962, the first U.S. patent was issued for a 3-point automobile safety belt. The inventor was a Swedish engineer working for Volvo. The 3-point system provided better protection than the lap belt. Volvo first put it in cars in 1959. They then released the design to other car manufacturers, and it quickly became standard worldwide. Here’s a story about the car crusaders who pushed for safety: http://ow.ly/yMF730d6Cgh
