ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
The Fake King of Albania - DAY BEFORE:
Ford Puts The World On Wheels - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Let's Open The Louvre - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
The Shocking Debut of the Electric Chair
ON THIS DAY
The Man Who Invented Seat Belts
Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin patented the three-point seatbelt while working for Volvo, on 17th August 1959. Prior to that, cars only had lap belts – basically a single strap across your waist – if they were fitted at all.
Volvo made the patent open to all manufacturers, which boosted global take-up, and enhanced their Safety First brand image.
But manufacturers and governments alike were surprisingly hostile to seatbelts at first… Some car owners in the U.S. even had them removed, claiming they were uncomfortable or might trap them if the car caught fire or sank in water.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how Australia led the way with mandatory seatbelt laws, while in Britain Margaret Thatcher and Michael Foot were both opposed; reveal which country has STILL not legislated nationally for compulsory seatbelts; and recall the terrifying impact of public service ads like the infamous “Julie” campaign…
Further Reading:
• ‘How Did Nils Bohlin Change the Auto Industry? (Inventor of the Three-Point Seatbelt)’ (The Collector, 2024): https://www.thecollector.com/inventor-nils-bohlin-change-auto-industry/
• ‘US3043625A – Safety belt’ (Google Patents): https://patents.google.com/patent/US3043625A/en
• ‘How Do Seatbelts Work?’ (Real Engineering, 2022):
ON THIS DAY
The Man Who Invented Seat Belts
Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin patented the three-point seatbelt while working for Volvo, on 17th August 1959. Prior to that, cars only had lap belts – basically a single strap across your waist – if they were fitted at all.
Volvo made the patent open to all manufacturers, which boosted global take-up, and enhanced their Safety First brand image.
But manufacturers and governments alike were surprisingly hostile to seatbelts at first… Some car owners in the U.S. even had them removed, claiming they were uncomfortable or might trap them if the car caught fire or sank in water.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how Australia led the way with mandatory seatbelt laws, while in Britain Margaret Thatcher and Michael Foot were both opposed; reveal which country has STILL not legislated nationally for compulsory seatbelts; and recall the terrifying impact of public service ads like the infamous “Julie” campaign…
Further Reading:
• ‘How Did Nils Bohlin Change the Auto Industry? (Inventor of the Three-Point Seatbelt)’ (The Collector, 2024): https://www.thecollector.com/inventor-nils-bohlin-change-auto-industry/
• ‘US3043625A – Safety belt’ (Google Patents): https://patents.google.com/patent/US3043625A/en
• ‘How Do Seatbelts Work?’ (Real Engineering, 2022):
ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
The Fake King of Albania - DAY BEFORE:
Ford Puts The World On Wheels - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Let's Open The Louvre - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
The Shocking Debut of the Electric Chair
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OLLY MANN
Olly Mann made his name with another trivia-wielding podcast, Answer Me This! with Helen Zaltzman – and now presents The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought for BBC Radio Four. He also has an A-Level in History, so Dan Snow beware.
REBECCA MESSINA
Rebecca got a passion for podcasting working at The Week magazine and a passion for trivia appearing on University Challenge in 2011, making The Retrospectors her natural home.
ARION MCNICOLL
Arion started out in satirical news in Australia, then moved to the UK to work for ostensibly serious publications including The Times, CNN, and The Week… before realising that since around 2016 the news has all been satire really.
Do you have a day of note that we should cover? Or would you or your business like to support the podcast? Get in touch!
