First Protect the Driver
“The primary way to protect an unborn child is to protect the driver,” says Lotta Jakobsson, a biomechanics and injury-reduction specialist for Volvo in Sweden. To reduce the risk to their most precious cargo, pregnant women need to drive carefully, of course. But because you can’t be certain to avoid all crashes, it’s important to wear the safety belt correctly.

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. Studies show that using seatbelts properly nearly eliminates the increased risk from airbags in car crashes.

The keys to car safety while pregnant:

• Move the front seat as far back as possible.
• Make sure your breastbone is at least 10 inches from the steering wheel.
• Move the seat back as your abdomen grows to keep as much distance as possible between the steering wheel and the airbag while still operating your vehicle safely.
• Keep the lap belt below your belly and the shoulder belt between your breasts.

Some Car Company Help
Car companies have been making it easier for everyone to wear belts properly. Current designs facilitate 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 bag. Some automakers attach the upper anchors to the seat back rather than the B-pillar, which is the area between the front and back windows. This is more common in coupes and sports cars so people can get in the backseat more easily without climbing under the belt.

Since the 1998 model year, cars with upper seatbelts that come out of the B-pillar are also required to have adjustable anchors. This helps everyone, from the tallest to the shortest — to the most pregnant — driver and passenger to keep belts from cutting into their necks or riding across their breasts. Belts should be worn across the “strongest part of the chest,” says Jakobsson.

Adjustable Steering Wheels and Pedals
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 often have manual devices that can help you point the center of the steering wheel away from the belly and toward the chest.

Adjustable pedals, now available in many models, can help shorter pregnant women drive more easily without sitting too close to the airbag. There are also several aftermarket versions available, although they come with some of the same cautions as other aftermarket devices, they should improve safety if installed professionally.

Expect More Attention
With more women working in auto safety, pregnant drivers are getting more attention. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Chief Nicole Nason says the agency is mulling whether its current safety belt regulations prevent automakers from designing belts that could be even safer for pregnant motorists. In a 2006 report, former Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Research Chief Susan Ferguson said more education is needed so pregnant women know the keys to seatbelt safety, and she pushed for more research on the effects airbags have on women and their unborn children.

Source: Edmunds.com