We are in 1964 and Bertil Aldman, doctor and professor of road safety in an IUT of Gothenburg, has a revolutionary idea. Inspired by research carried out by NASA engineers, he discovered that during re-entry into the atmosphere, the astronauts were installed in the capsule with their backs to the force of acceleration. The back absorbs the shock and the structure of the seat preserves the neck, the seat serving as a shield against shocks, he then imagines having children travel rear-facing in order to distribute the load and minimize bodily injury.
In 1964, with the assistance of Volvo, Professor Oldman developed a first prototype of a rear-facing car seat on a PV544.
In 1967, Volvo released its first seat for children aged 1 to 7 with an additional padded backrest. It attaches with the 3-point seat belt (another Volvo safety innovation) of the front seat to keep the seat in place. Initially sold as an accessory for the Volvo Amazon (model 123) and P144.
In 1972, Volvo created the first rear-facing child seat for maximum safety. A standard still used today
Comments