Ford launches seat belt technology to protect backseat passengers

(WXYZ) - If your family drives an SUV or Crossover, Ford says it has new technology that could help keep your backseat passengers, especially children, safe in a crash.

Ford announced this week it plans to start offering the just-launched rear inflatable seat belts in Ford Flex and in some unnamed Lincoln vehicles starting next summer.

The automaker started offering them in December in the 2011 Ford Explorer. Forty percent of Explorer buyers chose to pay for the approximately $200 option.

Ford says it spent a decade designing the belts. During regular use, they are just like a conventional seat belt. If you should be in an accident, they deploy what are essentially air bags in your seat belt. They fill in 40 milliseconds after a serious crash.

"This advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries," said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering in a press release. "Expanding the roll out of this technology is another example of Ford leading the way to enhance vehicle safety for our customers."

Ford says it is researching whether there is any benefit to having inflatable seat belts in the front seat.

Ford was the first automaker to start offering these seat belts. Toyota started offering inflatable safety belts a short time later in its Lexus LFA sports car.