For anyone recovering from a mastectomy, everyday activities can become unexpectedly painful — including something as routine as wearing a seatbelt. Ford’s new SupportBelt™, developed in the US and now available in the UK, is a small but significant innovation that aims to change that.

The SupportBelt is a soft, foam accessory that attaches to a car seatbelt to relieve pressure on the chest. Designed by those who have themselves struggled with pain while driving after surgery, the SupportBelt's contoured, breathable shape reduces irritation, discomfort, and anxiety when travelling by car — whether as a driver or passenger.

The idea was born from personal experience. Lynn Simoncini, a creative director at VML – a marketing partner of Ford, found herself in severe discomfort after undergoing a double mastectomy in 2022. The seatbelt’s tight pressure made even short car rides difficult. So, she sketched out a solution. What began as a personal project has now evolved into a medically-informed design developed by Ford engineers — and the result is the SupportBelt.

Now available for free in the UK, the SupportBelt is being offered in partnership with breast cancer support charities including Flat Friends, the Sunshine Group, and Keeping Abreast. Patients can request a SupportBelt via these organisations (contact details below).

“The SupportBelt demonstrates the profound impact that thoughtful design can have on healing,” says Emily Obert, Ford experience design director, who guided the development of the original idea with the help of design intern Rima Shkoukani. To-date, it is the only solution of its kind to be both designed and validated by an automaker.

Flat Friends UK, which supports women who have had mastectomy surgery without breast reconstruction, welcomed the initiative: “We are all about empowering women to reclaim their comfort and confidence after a mastectomy. The free SupportBelt, designed by Ford offers a thoughtful solution to make every car journey more comfortable and stress-free, allowing women to start living well after surgery. We are thrilled to be involved and look forward to providing the SupportBelt to our members to further support their well-being after surgery.

It’s not just drivers who benefit. A member from the Sunshine Group, which was set up 25 years ago to support breast cancer patients from Aintree University Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, shared: “A lot of initiatives focus on the driver, but as a non-driver I have great difficulty as a passenger travelling in a car with an ordinary seatbelt - it is most uncomfortable. I think I would benefit tremendously if I could use this, which would prevent me from worrying about getting in a car to go on a journey in discomfort.”

Carolyn Atkins, Support & Volunteer Officer for Keeping Abreast, the breast cancer reconstruction support charity, said: “No doubt the Ford SupportBelt will prove beneficial to breast cancer reconstruction patients who want more comfort and cushioning when travelling in a car, whether as a passenger or as a driver.”

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women in 157 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Ford hopes the SupportBelt will not only improve recovery journeys

but also encourage other companies to consider similar compassionate designs. A patent has been filed, and Ford intends to share the design more widely with the goal of making it accessible globally.

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Disclaimer:

The SupportBelt is designed and validated for Ford and Lincoln vehicle specifications and is intended only for use in those vehicles; Ford is making the design available via license for other automakers to manufacture and test in their vehicles. For shoulder belt use only. Do not use on lap portion of belt. Not for use by children or with child seats or booster seats. For use by mastectomy patients.

¹ Cancer statistics - Statistics Explained