The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be the first vehicle in the lineup to get the new Beltbag, an inflatable seatbelt that can reduce the risk of injury to rear-seat passengers in the event of a frontal crash.
Mercedes-Benz debuted the Beltbag on Friday. The automaker told Inside Line to expect it to be standard equipment on the next-generation S-Class due to be unveiled in the first half of next year.
Mercedes-Benz is not the first automaker to introduce such a safety device. Ford introduced inflatable rear seatbelts on the 2011 Ford Explorer. At the time Ford said the advanced restraint system was "designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear-seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries."
Mercedes-Benz said its version of the inflatable rear seatbelt reduces the load on the thorax, the part of the trunk between the neck and the abdomen.
"The multi-layered seatbelt strap has tear seams and can be inflated up to around three times its width by means of a gas generator," the company said in a statement.
It noted that consumers rated it highly for its "good comfort characteristics and extremely soft strap edging."
Courtesy of Insideline.com
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