The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Buckling Up

The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Buckling Up

Your Top 5 Seat Belt Questions Answered

Plus a quick guide to child safety seats

“I’m pregnant. Should I wear a seat belt?”

Yes. Doctors recommend it. In a crash, a seat belt is the best protection for both you and your unborn child.

“Should I adjust my seat?”

Yes. You should move the front seat back as far as possible. If you’re driving, make sure that you can still comfortably reach the pedals. But always keep at least 10 inches between the center of your chest and the steering wheel cover or dashboard. As your abdomen grows during pregnancy, adjust your seat to maintain this 10-inch minimum.

“What if my car or truck has air bags?”

You still need to buckle up. Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. Without a seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag, which could injure or even kill you and your unborn child. Also, if you’re not buckled up, you could collide with other passengers or be ejected from the vehicle.

“Should I turn the air bag off if my vehicle has an ON-OFF air-bag-disabling switch?”

No. Doctors recommend that pregnant women wear seat belts and leave air bags turned on. Seat belts and air bags work together to provide the best protection for you and your unborn child.

“What’s the right way to wear my seat belt?”

The shoulder belt should lay across your chest (between your breasts) and away from your neck.

Child Safety Seat Preview
Once your baby is born, follow these four easy steps to keep your little passenger safe on the road.

1	For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until a minimum of age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2	When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3	Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).
4	When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belts lay across the thighs and the should belts fit across the chest).

For more information: www.nhtsa.gov

Need more help?

Contact us	To learn more about seat belts, air bags, child safety seats (including where to find a free child seat inspection station near you), as well as other highway safety topics, call the DOT Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA Web site at www.nhtsa.gov.

Thanks to the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for their review and input for this brochure.