Nils
Bohlin
Class of 1989
Background:
Nils I. Bohlin was born in 1920 in Harnosand, Sweden. He is
a mechanical engineer. He graduated in 1939 with a Bachelor
of Science degree from Harnosand Laroveik, and has taken supplementary
qualification courses for engineers in aviation medicine,
automotive/traffic medicine, ergonomics and biomechanics.
Professional
Experience:
Mr. Bohlin was appointed safety engineer for AB Volvo in Gothenburg,
Sweden, in 1958. Earlier he was employed as a design engineer
by Saab Aircraft Company, where in 1955 he was in charge of
the development of ejection seats and pilot rescue systems
for supersonic aircraft. At Volvo, Mr. Bohlin served from
1959 to 1969 as chief of the Automotive Safety Department
and Interior Design. In 1969 he was assigned to the Central
Research and Development Department within the Volvo Group
and later to a position in the Advanced Engineering Department
related to general automotive safety matters until 1984. During
his career with Volvo he initiated and managed its Traffic
Accident Research Group, which included multi-disciplinary
accident investigation teams for cars as well as for trucks.
He retired from his position as senior research engineer at
Volvo in 1985.
Career
Highlights:
Mr. Bohlin lectured on automotive and traffic safety topics
at many international safety conferences and was invited by
governmental agencies in many countries, such as U.S.A., Canada,
Australia and Japan, to read technical/medical papers, particularly
on automotive restraint issues. He was known worldwide as
the inventor of the three-point lap/shoulder safety belt,
which now appears in most cars all over the world. His paper,
"A Statistical Analysis of 28,000 Accidents with Emphasis
on Occupant Restraint Value," (SAE670925) was presented
at the 11th Stapp Car Crash Conference in 1967 and played
a decisive role in the decision by The National Highway Safety
Bureau to implement a regulation that would require the front
outboard seating positions in passenger cars to be equipped
with three-point lap/shoulder belts. Mr. Bohlin's research
work was also a main reference when seat belt legislation
was passed in Australia.
Mr. Bohlin
received the Ralph H. Isbrandt Automotive Safety Engineering
Award* in 1974 and has been honored twice, once in 1979 and
again in 1985, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bohlin held several patents related
to both aviation and automotive design. He was honored at
the International Patent Conference in Munich in 1985 when
the West German Patent Office selected the patent for the
Volvo three-point lap/shoulder seat belt as one of the eight
most important patents (the eight patents that had done the
most for humanity) issued by that office during its first
100 years of existence.
*The Ralph
H. Isbrandt Award is presented annually to an individual for
distinguished accomplishment in automotive safety engineering.
The medal and certificate are presented to the recipient during
the annual Stapp Conference.
