Driving while pregnant? Beware of seatbelt adjusters
Seatbelts save thousands of lives every year, so it might surprise you to learn that those life-savers can contribute to fetal injury when pregnant people are in car crashes. Consumer Reports reveals the important safety steps you need to take when driving while pregnant.
Remember those old crash-test dummy PSAs reminding you to buckle your safety belt? It shouldn’t be surprising that the two dummies were named Vince and Larry.
Vehicles and restraint systems are designed to protect average-sized men. That potentially leaves small women, older people, and children more vulnerable in a crash. And it’s bad for pregnant people.
To address that risk for pregnant people, some companies sell seatbelt adjusters or positioners, devices that attach to the lap portion of a seat belt and essentially anchor it down between the user’s legs, farther away from the abdomen. But do they work?
The problem with seatbelt adjusters is that the government doesn’t set any standards for them or regulate them. So many experts think that the three-point seatbelt is still a pregnant person’s best bet and that any modifications to the car’s safety restraint system can be problematic.
Even though seatbelts in cars weren’t designed specifically to protect pregnant people, they’re still the best option for safety—if they’re worn correctly.
First, adjust your seat so that you have as much distance as possible between your belly and the steering wheel. Adjust the steering wheel so that you can reach it and the pedals comfortably. Then, put your seatbelt on, adjust the shoulder belt height, and make sure your lap belt is properly positioned.
Don’t wear the lap belt over your belly because that could harm your baby in a crash. Make sure it’s positioned underneath. It should fit snugly across your hips and pelvic bone.
Other reminders: Never disable the airbags, and if you don’t have to be the driver, it’s best to sit in the front passenger seat with it pushed as far back from the dashboard as possible.
With files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.