Pregnant women are required to wear a seat belt throughout the entire pregnancy period and if not, they risk losing the fetus in the event of an accident and being fined by the DGT. It should be remembered that the belt is the main element inside the vehicle and
María Collado, author of the study What do Spaniards know about the seat belt? of the CEA Foundation, points out that a few years ago there were doctors who recommended pregnant women not to use the belt: “Error, because between 200 and 700 pregnant women lose the fetus a year for not wearing the belt”.
In addition, apart from the effect on health, the Road Safety expert recalls that it is mandatory for pregnant women to wear a seatbelt fastened, although they must adapt it to their state of pregnancy. Collado emphasizes that they can only be exempt from using it if their doctor advises against it.
Even so, 17% of those who answered the CEA Foundation survey believe that pregnant women are not obliged to wear seat belts. Which is a mistake that can cost dearly. “The use of a seat belt in pregnant women is, in addition to mandatory, necessary, since in the event of an accident both the mother and the fetus can suffer serious injuries, cause an abortion, or the loss of life of both”, highlights the study.
The Law exempts pregnant women from wearing a seat belt under certain circumstances, but evidence has subsequently been found to confirm that the risk of injury and loss of the fetus due to not wearing a seat belt is greater than the risk of not wearing it. A factor that can explain the confusion that exists in a good part of the drivers
How to wear the belt
Correct way to wear the belt during pregnancy.
The DGT clarifies that the correct way is to place the lower band always below the abdomen, adjusting as much as possible to the bony part of the hips as in this drawing and the seat belt must be fastened in all the seats of the vehicle. In addition, Traffic makes the following recommendations to adapt driving and the passenger compartment:
SEAT.- Adjust the seat and increase the distance to the steering wheel or the dashboard as the pregnancy progresses.
AIRBAG.- Do not disconnect the front seat airbag.
DRIVING.- Make short trips, with relaxed driving and without sudden braking. During long trips, the number of rest stops should be increased and the pregnant woman should walk to activate circulation.
DISORDERS.- Related to the state of pregnancy (sugar levels, swollen legs, nausea…) can influence your ability to drive.
ACCOMPANIED.- It is recommended to travel accompanied from the thirtieth week of pregnancy
The DGT denounces the “atrocities” that circulate on the Internet with totally erroneous advice regarding how pregnant women should wear their belts.
Atrocities that are said about the use of the seat belt.
medical advice
Dr. Carlos Martín Elisenda, from the Primary Care Research Unit, has published a series of very practical advice on how pregnant women should behave.
“Pregnancy should not limit normal activities, such as driving, in fact it is a situation that women drivers will find themselves in at some point in their lives,” says the doctor.
However, during the second and, especially, in the third trimester of pregnancy, there are changes in abdominal volume that influence driving, due to the decrease in space with the steering wheel and the difficulty in using the pedals.
It should be borne in mind that pregnant women are at the same risk of injury in the event of a collision, but the damage not only affects them but also the fetus.
Pregnant with seat belt.
Despite the fact that during pregnancy there is a tendency to use the seat belt less (due to discomfort or the false belief that it can harm the fetus), its use is recommended among pregnant women because it avoids serious complications derived from a collision and saves maternal and maternal lives. fetal. In fact, various studies indicate that pregnant women who travel without a seatbelt have a 2.8% higher risk of losing the fetus than if they are wearing one.
Therefore it is vital that pregnant women wear their seat belts correctly. Thus, in relation to its use, the doctor advises placing the belt in the following way:
– Lower band under the abdomen and, on the legs, sticking to the pelvis (as low as possible on the hips). There are devices on the market (safety belts for pregnant women) that keep the lower band in the correct position without reducing the effectiveness of the belt.
– Diagonal band on the clavicle, between the breasts and surrounding the abdomen, never in front of the abdomen. It is very important to avoid oppressing the belly, otherwise the fetus could be harmed.
– Use seat belts in both the front and rear seats.
– Do not wear the belt loosely, but to the pressure generated by its own mechanism.
For long journeys, Dr. Carlos Martín Elisenda recommends.
– Use a cushion in the lower back, to avoid back pain.
– Avoid irregularities in the road, avoid sudden braking and violent movements.
– Make stops every 2 hours.
– Take extreme precautions because during pregnancy the ability to drive can be reduced due to the physiological changes typical of pregnancy (fluid retention, hormonal and sugar level changes, vision changes, etc.).
– From the 30th week of pregnancy it is advisable to travel accompanied.
– After a caesarean section, you should wait about 45 days before driving again, due to your own inconvenience
More risk for drivers
If the pregnant woman is the one driving, the danger is even greater. Without a seatbelt, a small bump can cause your belly to hit the steering wheel directly. For this reason, its use is always recommended at any stage of pregnancy, although, logically, using it properly.
Pregnant with seat belt.
María Collado points out that there are studies that state that between 2% and 6% of pregnant women are involved in a traffic accident during the gestation period, “so the use of a seat belt is essential and it is essential to rule out false belief that women on treadmills traveled safer without this system.
An investigation carried out in the United States in 1993 concluded that pregnant women involved in traffic accidents and who were not wearing seat belts were twice as likely to have a low-weight baby and 2.3 times more likely to give birth in the 48 hours after the accident, even though the impact occurred at low speed.
Another similar study, also from the USA, revealed that the mortality of the fetus in road accidents was three times higher than that of the mother. In one of the accidents investigated, the woman, who was not wearing a belt, suffered fractures in the pelvis and femur, but the fetus suffered fractures in the cranial bones and intraventricular hemorrhage.
In any case, most pregnant women are quite responsible in this matter: in 1990, a survey carried out by the American Medical Association showed that 88% of pregnant women used a seat belt when driving and 90% did so when walking. as a passenger Almost a quarter, however, did not know if the use of this retention mechanism during the gestation period was convenient or not.
Fine for not wearing a seatbelt
Not wearing the belt is sanctioned with 200 euros.
It cannot be forgotten that among the health risks of not wearing a seatbelt is added the risk to your pocket. The infraction is considered serious and the fine amounts to 200 euros. .
It is good to remember that the DGT has, with the aim of sanctioning all those who commit this infraction.