Ford unveils plans for inflatable rear seatbelts

Inflatable rear seatbelts are to be fitted by Ford in an attempt to cut the number of passengers being killed and injured in crashes, reports the Telegraph.

The technology, which combines the traditional seatbelt with an airbag, spreads the impact of a crash across five times the body area of a conventional belt.

On impact, sensors in the car determine how severe the crash has been. Where necessary they trigger the flow of gas through a specially designed buckle.

These belts inflate more slowly than a traditional airbag, which helps control head and neck motion for those sitting in the back of the car.

According to Ford, the belts will be fitted on all compatible cars, although no date has been set for when this will be done in Europe.

Click here to read the full Telegraph report.