Inflatable Seat Belt

Iv always found it interesting, that OLD tech excites people as they see it. And that they didnt know it was there, until it hit the Cheaper cars.

High end cars have some great features. They dont cost that much to add. and when they FINALLY implement them on lower cost cars, people say WOW/cool/..
Like Left/right turn signals that ALSO LIGHT UP the direction you are turning, so that you can see CURBS/object in the way. This feature has been around for years, and takes VERY little to add to a car.
LED lights to brighten your displays, RATHER then HOT BULBS that DIE every 5 years.

Make seat belts COMFORTABLE, and people will wear them.
Make them UNobtrusive..AUTOMATIC..and NOT electrical powered(thats hazardous).
It was funny with the original Crash bags, were filled with INERT GAS?? and a FINE POWDER..the powder wasnt INERT. And many have gone back to Corn starch which works great.

I imagine these will cost $1000/belt to replace once expanded. Too bad safety isn't cheap.

How long until someone decides these aren't safe?

Wow... exactly... let's add tons more cost... because NOBODY wants better gas mileage... I think people can't afford much more safety.... Cars that drive themselves for example? Again, how about something affordable? Happy with Honda... ohh well...

These have been used in aviation for a few years now, notably new small Cessnas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FboAm9RqUXM

In this economy I can't afford to drive out of town so I rarely get over 40mph. So hopefully I won't need those anytime soon. Maybe design something for my bike.:^P

I prefer Red Green's seatbelt approach, wherein the shoulder belt looks like an ammunition bandoleer and is therefore awesome to wear (Episode #1216, "Rain Man").

ECA - do you find seatbelts uncomfortable? Apart from occasionally with small children or really skeletal adults I've not met more than a handful of people who really find them uncomfortable.

As a driver for the last thirty years, and claim-free for the last 20 (350,000 miles or so) I reckon driving style has a lot more to do with staying safe than any number of safety features.

i like the comments: indeed more expensive, more weight and more stuf that breaks, and cant be fixed with aftermarket stuff. So ure stuck with dealer prices.

@skipweasel, you must be a tallish male. Shorter drivers tend to find shoulder belts scraping their necks, and women (especially if they're in a point in their cycle where breasts are very tender) tend to find the seat belt seems to be attempting a mastectomy.

Easy solution, though: plastic clips that allow adjusting the shoulder belt to a comfortable angle. Inexpensive, and at least some auto supply places routinely stock them.

Yeah, I'm 6'2", but my wife's 4'9" and she doesn't seem to have trouble. She did when she was learning, but I guess she just got used to it.