††Safety belts are required in a number of situations where a human being might be travelling at speed or in some other potentially hazardous situation. The most obvious example is car safety belts. These are designed to minimise the shock of an accident. In the event of a car coming to a sudden halt, the belt will allow the wearer to move slightly forward to absorb some of the impact. If the belt was rigid then the user could be badly hurt for this very reason. However, having allowed this movement, the device halts the person's flight forward, hopefully before they come into contact with anything. The design of the belt, which normally stretches over one shoulder to the opposite hip, and then across the lower abdomen, is intended to prevent too much pressure building up on any weak parts of the body. Modern safety belts are woven from strong artificial fibres. They are used in all aircraft, and are also invaluable for other activities such as climbing or abseiling. The car safety belt had its origins in a 1903 patent taken out by Gustave Desire Liebau of France, who thought of providing 'protective braces'.
