More than 50,000 people a year die in car accidents because they cannot get out of the vehicle due to jammed belts. Until now, the only known solution has been belt cutters, which unfortunately are very difficult to use effectively without proper preparation and in a stressful situation.

The challenge was taken up by three students from the Warsaw University of Technology. Mateusz Wiśniewski from the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering, Maciej Małecki from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Hubert Hektus from the Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering developed a buckle that allows emergency release from seat belts.

Mateusz came up with the idea when he was attending secondary school. – It was developed after the tragic death of Paul Walker, the actor known from the 'Fast and Furious' series. One of the most likely hypotheses is that he died in a burning car because he couldn't get out of his seatbelt – he says.

He presented the concept to Maciej and Hubert, whom he still knew from high school.

– After several meetings, technical drawings and brainstorming sessions, we decided to tackle the subject – says Hubert. – The seat belt buckle as we know it has not changed significantly in over 50 years. It was high time to make an improvement and improve safety – Maciej says.

The team worked on the idea for two years. The creators of the solution also founded the start-up HEMAWI. They produced a prototype plastic buckle on a 3D printer, as well as a metal model. Analysis and strength tests were carried out by scientists from the Białystok University of Technology.

– The operation of the buckle is very simple. With a flick of the wrist, any user, regardless of age, experience or skill, can free themselves from the tightened seat belt – says Mateusz.

3D model of the buckle made in a computer programme and a plastic prototype made on a 3D printer, photo: HEMAWI

The students have applied for three solutions related to the project at the European Patent Office. The procedure is still ongoing. Plans for this year include further research and development: minimising the size of the buckle, maximising the strength and optimising production costs. The next few months will be needed for the certification and approval process.

For this, funding is necessary. The HEMAWI team has so far raised development funding in incubation programmes and is now looking for investors, including a share issue soon to be launched on the Beesfund platform.

HEMAWI's activities can be followed on the hemawi.com website and on Facebook.