Patent ID: 8041483

Claim:
A vehicle having a passenger compartment, a seat on which an occupant can sit, and a seatbelt associated with the seat, an anticipatory crash system for reacting to an expected impact involving the vehicle, comprising: at least one anticipatory crash sensor structured and arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by or reflected from an object exterior of the vehicle; a processor coupled to said at least one anticipatory crash sensor and configured to predict an impact involving the vehicle and the object exterior to the vehicle prior to the impact and assess the probable severity of the predicted impact; and said processor being further configured to activate at least one occupant restraint device in response to the predicted impact based on the assessed probable severity of the predicted impact, said processor being arranged to activate said at least one occupant restraint device prior to the impact; and said at least one occupant restraint device comprising a seatbelt tensioner, wherein the seatbelt tensioner is, upon activation by said processor, operable to tighten the seatbelt prior to the impact in an attempt to reduce the potential harm to the occupant resulting from the impact.