The 10-inch rule refers to the space you should keep between your breastbone and the steering wheel if you drive while pregnant. You might think turning off the airbag is the best way to protect your baby from injury during a collision. But disabling your airbag actually puts you and your child at risk.
If you sit in a car with airbags while pregnant, follow these tips to keep yourself and your baby safe:
Although you might experience discomfort wearing a seat belt while pregnant, consistent seat belt use is still vitally important. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends always wearing a seat belt when driving to protect you and your baby.
For most people, putting on a seat belt is second nature. Many of us don’t even think about it after closing the car door. However, things change when you get pregnant. Putting on a seat belt is suddenly more complicated, and a simple mistake could place you and your unborn child at risk.
But wearing a seat belt is essential whether you’re a driver or passenger – pregnant or not. Ideally, your seat belt should have a three-point restraint system with a shoulder and lap strap. Shoulder and lap belts work together to keep you restrained in your seat and minimize the risk of injury in a crash. They also reduce the chances of ejection from the vehicle in especially severe accidents.
The correct way to wear a seat belt is the same for everyone. The shoulder belt should fit snugly across the shoulder and chest. The lap belt must sit low and flat over the hips.
However, pregnancy changes the body dramatically. Wearing your seat belt as you did before you got pregnant might not be possible, especially as your belly grows. You can reduce your discomfort while driving and protect yourself and your child by following these seat belt safety tips:
You should consider allowing someone else to drive if your growing belly prevents you from wearing a seat belt properly or comfortably. The discomfort can be overwhelming, potentially creating a dangerous driving distraction.
The driver’s seat is the most dangerous location in a vehicle for a pregnant woman. The placement of the steering wheel in proximity to a pregnant woman’s growing belly makes the driver’s seat extremely hazardous to her unborn child. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your baby while pregnant is to have someone else drive for you.
Pregnant women should sit in the back seat with their seat belts on if they’re not driving. According to studies, the rear middle seat is the safest in the car.
It’s a good idea to sit in the middle seat to avoid hitting your head on the window during a crash – but only if the seat has a lap and shoulder belt. If you sit in the front passenger seat, push it as far back as it will go, wear your seat belt correctly, and don’t turn off the airbags.
Although letting someone else drive you around is an excellent plan, it might be impossible. You might have a job to go to, other children to care for, or responsibilities you can’t ignore. That’s why it’s so important to wear your seat belt correctly, keep airbags on, and be cautious if you drive while pregnant.
If you are in a car crash while pregnant, you should watch for signs of possible fetal injury, such as:
If you were hurt in a Georgia car accident as a pregnant mother, we hope this information has been helpful and that you and your baby are getting the treatment you need. Butler Kahn is here to speak with you when you’re ready to discuss your car accident case. You can always contact us for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
*Please note that cases in which an airbag failed to deploy (i.e., when the airbag didn’t come out) during the crash are difficult cases. We are happy to talk with you about your case, but there are a two things you should know about such cases before we get on the phone. First, proving causation – i.e., proving that the airbag would have prevented the injury if it had deployed – is often difficult. We would have to show that the crash was severe enough that the airbag should have deployed but not so severe that the airbag could have prevented the injury. Second, litigating these cases against deep-pocketed automakers is very difficult. It takes years and costs well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars (sometimes above $1 million) to hire all the experts and perform all the tests that are required to handle these cases correctly. For that reason, we are unable to accept airbag cases that do not involve catastrophic, life-altering personal injuries or death.