Earlier today a visitor came to the Arrive Alive website whilst searching for the phrase “should I wear a seatbelt when pregnant”. This is a topic that was also raised by an employee of a major distribution company earlier this year.
On the Arrive Alive website we have added content on the topic “Pregnancy and Safe Driving”, and I would like to quote a section from this page:
• Many pregnant ladies complain that safety belts create additional discomfort and are confused about wearing seat belts and shoulder harnesses during pregnancy.
• They wonder if wearing the restraints over their abdomen could cause a problem.
• Restraints are however necessary during pregnancy, just as they are necessary when you’re not pregnant.
• Seat-belt use is so important that the National Highway Safety Administration has designed a “pregnant” crash-test dummy. The dummy is used in simulated car crashes to record how an accident could affect a pregnant woman and her unborn baby.
• There is no evidence that use of safety restraints increases the chance of foetal or uterine injury.
• You have a better chance of survival in an accident wearing a seat belt than not wearing one.
• Safety belt won`t bring harm to your baby, which is encircled with amniotic fluid from all sides. It protects him from strong blows, which are dangerous for the foetus.
• No matter what the stage of your pregnancy, it is vital that you always wear a seat belt.
• By wearing a seat belt you are protecting yourself and your unborn baby in the event of a crash.
• Remember that it is illegal not to wear a seat belt unless you have a current certificate signed by a medical practitioner exempting you due to medical reasons.
• All pregnant women must wear seat belts by law when travelling in cars. This applies to both front and back seats – pregnancy does not in itself automatically provide exemption from the law.
• Wearing a seatbelt reduces the injury risk to your unborn baby by up to 70%.
• Even if your own injuries are slight in a crash, there is still a risk of losing your baby. Wearing a seatbelt reduces this risk.
• People who don’t wear a seatbelt can injure other people in the vehicle as well as themselves in a crash
We would like to urge all the mothers- to- be not only to expect the birth of a child – but also to expect the unexpected – and rather wear those seatbelts!
Also view: