Pregnant motorists could be risking their unborn child
by: Robert
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Last week I received a telephone call from my pregnant friend after she had been involved in a road traffic accident. Fortunately, she and her baby escaped suffering serious personal injuries and she didn't need to make a car accident claim but it got me thinking, just how vulnerable are pregnant women to car accident injuries?
As a pregnant mother, one of the most important things to consider is that your seatbelt is correctly adjusted to protect the unborn child in the event of a serious road traffic accident. The lap of the belt should rest under the mother's stomach with the shoulder strap lying over the top of the bump. The belt should never be worn across the bump as any sudden jolt could cause severe injuries to the baby and may even separate the placenta from the uterus.
A number of women who have consulted compensation solicitors to make car accident claims have often said that their seatbelt was correctly adjusted and prevented any further injuries from being sustained to their unborn child. According to research carried out at Loughborough University, approximately 3,500 pregnant women are involved in crashes every year and risk having to make compensation claims.
A researcher from the university commented on the study and said, "Sixty per cent of those we contacted said they had no idea there was advice available on seat-belt wearing." They also found that although there was information available on the internet for expectant mothers "Mothers who were aware say they only found out because they really looked hard to discover the information."
Information gathered in the study shows that there may be a high number of pregnant female drivers who are unaware about the correct positioning of their seatbelt and therefore may be putting themselves and their child at risk from injuries and subsequent car accident claims. I asked my friend if she had been made aware about the need to have a correct seatbelt adjustment and she said, "I had no idea at first, the only reason I started wearing the belt under my bump is because it felt more comfortable that way. Following the car accident I was told that if I'd been wearing the seat-belt over my bump, I could have easily injured my baby. Fortunately, we both escaped without serious personal injuries."
A spokesperson for Volvo car safety centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, commented on the danger of using seatbelts incorrectly and said, "About half of pregnant women don't wear their seat belt properly. The most common misuse is for the lap belt to be too high, at belly-button level, when it should be as low as possible, over the bump and flat over the hips.
"Another major misuse is putting the torso strap behind you. That's done to avoid breast compression, especially in the later months. Car users don't realise that the belt only operates fully if it's worn properly and loads four points on the body."
There are many things that need to be considered if you're a pregnant driver but the seatbelt is by far the most important element. After this you might like to think about the car's airbag and adjusting your seat as this could reduce the risk of you sustaining an injury in the event of a motor accident.
With the right precautions, you could very much limit the need to make a car accident claim for serious personal injuries. Once you have the baby, you may even consider purchasing a "Baby onboard" sign, not only to boast about your new bundle of joy but to alert any speeding or tailgating driver who could be travelling close to your bumper.
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About the Author
Simon Jacobs, Car Accident Advice Line http://www.car-accident-claim.com/car-accident/car-accident-statistics.htm helps people to claim compensation after they have been injured in a car accident that was not their fault. You can call us now on 0808 143 43 42
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