1980–1990: «Long road to seat belt law» – compulsory seat belt usage provides safety

The importance of the seat belt was not realized from the very outset – its history is correspondingly dating back to the 1980s. It took more than 20 years from the time it was first invented until it was finally introduced in Switzerland. The safety belt went into series production in a Volvo model as early as 1959. In 1976, the Federal Council in Switzerland adopted an ordinance requiring the use of seat belts, but the Swiss Federal Supreme Court revoked the obligation following a legal dispute.

It took another five years until, after the revision of the Road Traffic Act and a federal popular vote, the law was narrowly adopted by the people and introduced in July 1981.

Today, wearing seat belts is a matter of course for the majority of people in Switzerland. Safety belts play an invaluable role in our everyday safety and have been widely recognized since their legal introduction in the 1980s. In order to ensure that safety belts meet the complex safety requirements, they have also been reviewed and standardized in international standardization work. The 1980s not only heightened road safety with the compulsory use of seat belts, they also marked the time when the airbag system, also an invention of the 1950s, made its first important breakthrough into automotive engineering (ISO 12097 ).

Sources: Wikipedia, www.bfu.ch, ISO, DKE German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies, www.unsplash.com, Standards Norway (images)

Image description: International standards regulate the elongation of the strap material at a tensile force of 11 kN and the breaking strength of the strap (ECE-R 16).

The 1980s ushered in the information age
The beginning of the information age dates back to the early 1980s. Computer technology was making great strides, IBM launched the first personal computer and people were rushing to acquire new inventions, such as answering machines, microwave ovens and compact disc (CD ) players. By the end of the decade, the new CD replaced vinyl records and emerged as a new technology (SN EN 60908 ). The Internet protocol TCP/IP also spread around the globe and became the standard for networking (SN EN 62457 ).

Invisible helpers ensure safety and smooth interaction in everyday life
Just as we now rely on the safety of vehicle seat belts when we fasten them in cars, we use countless objects every day which, thanks to standardized regulations, procedures and processes, ultimately ensure safety and user-friendliness without being noticed.