Driving during pregnancy: all the precautions to be taken
Rule No. 1 - Driving while pregnant: the seat belt
Belt yes or belt no? It is often thought that the seat belt can hurt the fetus, tighten too much, be uncomfortable, even lead to a miscarriage. And therefore it is not correct to wear it.
Some even think that it is the law that exempts pregnant women from wearing it. Nothing more wrong. The Highway Code establishes that the belt must be worn unless you are in possession of a medical certificate certifying the actual danger to health.
Several studies have shown that the belt protects both the woman and the fetus. And not only in minor accidents, but also in more serious ones. Certainly in the last months of pregnancy the belt can particularly compress the uterine wall, but not wearing it would have even more serious consequences in the event of a collision as the woman's body would violently collide against the steering wheel, in case she is driving, or against. other parts of the car, if you are traveling as a passenger. Therefore, seat belts must always be used when you are in the driver's seat, but also when you sit on the passenger seat or on the rear seats, in the second or third row.
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Rule No. 2 - Driving while pregnant: how should the seat belt be worn?
Once the need to use the seat belt has been ascertained, it is necessary to consider how the body of the pregnant woman changes naturally. So the next question to ask is: how should the seat belt be worn? Are there any special rules to follow?
The belt must be positioned correctly to avoid trauma resulting from improper use of the belt. So at the beginning of pregnancy, when the uterus is still small, there are no particular rules, but from the second trimester it is important that the lower belt is positioned below the belly and not above the belly. This is for the part of the belt that is located at the abdominal level. The side belt should instead be positioned away from the neck, between the breasts.
The driving position must also change, and more space must be left in front of the body. The seat, if you are driving, must be positioned at least 25 cm from the steering wheel. But even when you are seated on the other armchairs, it is good practice to get as far away as possible from what is in front of us. For the rest, the general safety rules apply, such as holding loads correctly, not traveling with bulky objects or objects that could injure the lap, and not traveling with uninsured pets. The rules that come for everyone are even more valid for expectant mothers and their precious cargo!
Several studies have shown that, in the event of a car accident, pregnant women who were not wearing a seat belt suffered serious fetal injuries in 25% of cases. The figure, on the other hand, drops to 3% if, on the other hand, the seat belts have been worn adequately and correctly.
We also remind you that Article 172 of the Highway Code provides for failure to comply with the obligation to wear seat belts an administrative penalty ranging from 80 euros to 323 euros, in addition to the deduction of five points from the driving license. If the infringement of the provisions of the Highway Code is committed twice in two years, there is a risk of suspension of the license from 15 days to 2 months.
Rule No. 3 - Driving while pregnant: should the airbag be deactivated?
No, if the pregnant woman travels carried on the passenger seat, the airbag must not be deactivated. Here, too, the general rule applies: however violent and traumatic the release of the airbag can be, the consequences of the explosion will be less and less serious than those of an accident without an airbag. Let's not forget that the same rule applies to children too, if they travel in the passenger seat, unless they travel in the opposite direction to that of travel.
Rule No. 4 - Driving during pregnancy: Password: comfort
The last rule is also a rule of common sense. In fact, we want to suggest future mothers to always drive with comfortable clothes and shoes: clothes that are too narrow, or that clog us too much, or shoes with high heels, these can be dangerous. And don't forget in case of long journeys to make small stops and walk to reactivate the circulation.
