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Although there have been individual reports of injuries following deployment of airbags after motor vehicle accidents, these injuries may have been due to driver impact with the steering wheel, or the mother's contact with the armrest.
Reports including larger numbers of pregnant women who were involved in vehicle accidents demonstrate that properly positioned safety belts and airbags offer the best overall protection to both mother and fetus during pregnancy.
Things you should remember when buckling up:
- Pregnant women involved in crashes should seek treatment after a motor vehicle accident regardless of the severity of maternal injury.
- To properly position a safety belt, the lap portion of the seat belt should be placed under the pregnant abdomen and over the pubic bone.
- The shoulder harness should be positioned off to the side of the uterus and between the breasts. Placement of the seat belt directly over the abdomen may increase the risk of fetal injury during a high speed collision.
- Airbags should not be disabled during pregnancy.
- Women should avoid driving during late pregnancy, since they may not be able to get their abdomen far enough away from the steering wheel.
For more information log on to your state department of transportation website and read the pointers that they give for pregnant driving.
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