South Korea’s leading car parts supplier Hyundai Mobis on Thursday said it has begun commercial production of advanced active seatbelts that will allow the company to compete effectively in the global market.

The production marks the first time that a South Korean company has made a foray into the new product that aims to minimize injury to vehicle occupants in the event of an accident. In the past, companies such as Hyundai Motor Co. bought the seatbelts from TRW Automotive, a German firm well known in the automotive safety industry.

The seatbelts work by automatically tightening and strapping a person to his or her seat if on-board sensors anticipate a crash, or when a car is undergoing rapid deceleration or tight turns.

The company, which is part of the Hyundai Motor Group, said the new seatbelts will be used on the 2015 model year Hyundai Genesis premium sedan, which will go on sale in South Korea within the month. (Yonhap News)