Seat belts during pregnancy

Can a pregnant woman not wear a seat belt?

According to Poland’s highway code and according to Art. 39 paragraph. 2 of the Law of June 20, 1997 “Traffic Law”, a woman who is visibly pregnant is not required to wear a seat belt while driving. It is worth emphasizing, however, that this provision is not a suggestion that pregnant women should give up this protection. The article also does not state that a pregnant woman’s use of a seat belt could pose any danger to her and the unborn child. So in this case, Polish law leaves the question of wearing a seat belt to the pregnant woman’s discretion, but the mother-to-be will not receive a fine for not wearing one. Nevertheless, experts recommend and suggest that seat belts should be worn regardless of the age of pregnancy.

Seat belts during pregnancy and baby’s health

Do seat belts pose a real risk to a pregnant woman or child? With an incorrectly fastened seat belt, there is, of course, a risk that a child could be injured not only in a minor collision, but also in an emergency stop. On the other hand, when seat belts are fastened properly, such risks are minimal. For this reason, it is so important to position them correctly. This guarantees not only a comfortable, but above all safe, both for mother and child, journey. It is also worth noting that a very large number of deaths of unborn children are caused by traffic accidents. At the moment of impact, the forces acting on the person in the car can be very high, and it is the seat belts, along with the airbags, that are designed to offset the force of the impact as much as possible. So it’s not surprising that not wearing a seat belt poses a much greater risk to the woman and the fetus than using them correctly.

Seat belts-facilitation for pregnant women

Awareness of the dangers of not wearing seat belts while driving has somehow forced manufacturers to create special belt adapters designed specifically for moms-to-be. Their job is to reposition the lower part of the belts-the lap belt-to be under (rather than on) the pregnant woman’s belly. This virtually eliminates the danger that could be caused by the incorrect positioning of the lap belt and its strong pressure on the abdomen and the developing baby in the uterine cavity. Automotive experts also recommend that women with advanced pregnancies try to move the seat as far away from any airbags as possible, and that the seat be in an upright position.

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