Older cars do not have air bags, so Swedish company Autoliv is patenting an
air-bag system that can be fitted to a car of any age (GB 2 328 185). It
replaces the existing seat belts with new ones made from a pair of strips
stitched together by one strong seam and one weak one. An inflatable bag in the
cavity between the straps is connected by a flexible tube to a gas cylinder. The
impact of a crash triggers the cylinder to release its contents into the
inflatable bag, causing the weak seam to pop and turning the belt into an air
bag.
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