Seatbelts were first invented in the mid-19th century for early gliders, not cars, by English engineer George Cayley, who used simple lap belts to keep pilots from falling out. The first U.S. patent specifically for a vehicular “safety belt” was granted to Edward J. Claghorn on February 10, 1885, for a harness meant to secure passengers in New York taxis. The modern three-point car seatbelt—the kind used in almost every car today—was invented much later, in 1959, by Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin while working for Volvo, and that design became the global standard for automotive safety.