Safe Driving for Pregnant Women

It is a common thought that wearing a seatbelt poses a risk for women who are pregnant.  The main reason for this misconception is that federal car crash databases don't regularly mention whether drivers or occupants were pregnant, and death certificates of fetuses don't cite whether the mother-to-be was in a car. nbsp; It is true that studies show that seatbelts and airbags can pose risks to a fetus, but it is important to look at the cause: the seatbelt wasn't worn at all, was worn incorrectly, or the pregnant driver was positioned too closely to the airbag.  In many cases the cause of death to fetuses in crashes is the death of the mother.  So, it is only common sense that to protect the fetus, the mother should be protected first.  If the pregnant woman survives a crash, the next biggest danger is "placental abruption”:  the placenta separates from the uterus and disrupts the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.  If too much of the force of the crash is transmitted to the woman’s belly, then this can happen.  The primary reasons for this to happen would be because the belly makes contact with a part of the car (like the steering wheel or dashboard), the belt is worn improperly or the bag hits it with too much force.

To reduce the risks involved, pregnant women need to drive carefully.  The seat belt needs to be worn correctly, with the lap belt under, not across their belly and the shoulder belt between the breasts.  They should also move the front seat as far back as possible, make sure their breastbone is at least 10 inches from the steering wheel, and they need to keep moving the seat back as their abdomen grows. The goal is to keep as much distance as possible between the steering wheel and the airbag while still operating safely.

Car companies have climbed on board in making vehicles safer for pregnant women.  Current designs aid comfortable positioning of the steering wheel, enabling even pregnant women to adjust the steering wheel in a way that keeps them from sitting too close to the airbag. These adjustable steering wheels, particularly ones that telescope in and out, can be especially helpful for drivers of varying sizes — and stages of pregnancy. Even lower-end models have manual devices that can help you point the center of the steering wheel away from the belly and toward the chest.  Seat belts that come out of the B-pillar (the area between the front and back windows) are required to have adjustable anchors.  This helps every driver and passenger to keep belts from cutting into their necks or riding across their breasts.  There are some aftermarket products available to help further adjust safety belts, but automakers and federal regulators warn against using them, as they are not covered by any safety standards and have the possibility of decreasing the belt's performance in a crash.  Adjustable pedals are also helpful, as they can help shorter pregnant women drive more easily without sitting too close to the airbag.
 
Automakers do sometimes consider the pregnant female in their testing. At least one company sells a crash test dummy that simulates a pregnant woman that some automakers use.  Pregnant drivers are getting more attention as more women are working in the auto safety industry.  Still, more education is needed so pregnant women know the keys to seatbelt safety,  and more research on the effects airbags have on women and their fetuses needs to be done.  One fact that is known, however, is pregnant women who aren't wearing safety belts and sit so their abdomens are right up against the airbag when it deploys are putting their babies at the most risk.  Using seatbelts properly nearly eliminates the increased risk from airbags in car crashes.