Ford Adds Inflatable Seatbelts in European Market

Ford Motor Co. says it will introduce its inflatable rear seatbelt system in Europe when the redesigned Mondeo family car goes on sale there next May. The Mondeo, which will be unveiled at the Paris auto show in September, is a variant of the Ford Fusion.

Ford debuted the technology in the U.S. in the 2011 Explorer crossover vehicle and is expanding the $195 option to the Ford Flex crossover and Lincoln models later this year.

The system features an accordion-folded airbag within the torso portion of the seatbelt. In a frontal crash, the airbag is inflated by cold compressed gas stored in a cylinder below the seat. The airbag expands sideways across the wearer's chest, helping to absorb crash energy over five times as much surface area as a conventional belt.

The system also inflates at a slower rate less than 40 milliseconds and with less pressure than a conventional airbag because it is already in contact with its wearer.