Design Challenge 

Seat belts are essential vehicle safety components, but their effectiveness depends strongly on correct and consistent use. Numerous studies show that perceived discomfort is one of the main reasons occupants choose not to wear seat belts properly. 

Understanding how pressure is distributed between the seat belt and the occupant’s body is therefore critical to improving both comfort and acceptance, without compromising safety performance. 

Our Approach 

Sensor Products International provides pressure and force measurement solutions that support the design and evaluation of seat belt systems. Our technology enables engineers to measure the pressures experienced by occupants when the belt is tensioned against the body, including conditions such as emergency braking or crash events. 

Pressure data can be captured dynamically and visualized through intuitive 2D or 3D pressure maps, allowing localized high-pressure zones to be quickly identified and assessed. This information supports design optimization to improve comfort while maintaining required restraint performance. 

Our measurement systems are suitable for dynamic and high-speed testing scenarios, providing reliable and repeatable data for development, validation, and comparative studies. Test configurations can be adapted to specific seat belt geometries, test setups, and development objectives. 

Seat Belt Pressure Measurement Applications 

• Research and product development 
• Occupant comfort evaluation 
• Quality assurance and consistency testing 
• Comparative testing of belt designs and materials 

Benefits of Pressure Mapping 

• Identify localized areas of high or low pressure 
• Evaluate pressure distribution across different users or populations
• Obtain repeatable, objective measurement data to support design decisions