The seat belt was first invented in the 1800s by George Cayley. A patent (United States Patent #312,085) was obtained by Edward J. Claghorn of New York, on February 10, 1885 for a Safety-Belt for tourists. He described it as being "designed to be applied to the person, and provided with hooks and other attachments for securing the person to a fixed object," namely, a ladder or pole.
Volvo incorporated the safety belt in their car (the first company to do so) in 1849.
Ford Motor Company was the first to have a designed safety belt. Edward Hock invented this design while on active duty in the military as a flight instructor. He was awarded $20.50, a picture, a newspaper article and a letter of recognition for his original blueprint (he used parachute strapping in his schematics) in 1955.
Nils Bohlin of Sweden introduced the lap-and-shoulder belt (now a modern standard safety device) via Volvo in 1959.
From 1964-1968, most US cars came with front only seat belts; after that, rear restraints were the standard.
1956: 2-Point Seat Belt (Volvo): A restraint system with two attachment points (a lap belt)1959: 3-Point Seat Belt (Volvo): A seat belt with both a lap and a shoulder portion, having three attachment points (one shoulder, two hips).1964: Lap Belt (standard in US cars): A seat belt anchored at two points, for use across the thighs/hipsLap/Shoulder Belt (combination belt): A seat belt that is anchored at three points and restrains the occupant at the hips and across the shoulder
The first child car seats were invented in 1921. In 1978, Tennessee became the first American State to require child safety seat use.
In 1983, there was a study done requiring drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times for a three year trial period; in 1986, both the House and the Senate voted to maintain this requirement after the trial. January of 2003 marked the 20th anniversary of this requirement and the 50,000 mark for recorded lives saved.