The benefits of seatbelt use in pregnant women drivers

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death, with 13 million deaths worldwide in 2000, and are also the largest cause of accidental death and disability in pregnancy. According to the previous report about traffic injuries of the pregnant women and fetal or neonatal outcomes, more severe maternal injury was associated with a higher risk of fetal loss. Therefore, seatbelt use during pregnancy is important to improve maternal and fetal survival after motor vehicle accidents. Because seatbelt use reduces the risk of fatal injury for pregnant women and their fetuses in car crashes, seatbelt use by drivers and front-seat passengers is legally required in many developed countries. Furthermore, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women wear properly positioned seatbelts throughout pregnancy. However, Japan's Road Traffic Law, in contrast to similar laws in other developed countries, exempts pregnant women from the required use of seatbelts. Therefore, a low rate of seatbelt use among women throughout pregnancy is a nationwide problem. According to a self-administrated questionnaire survey at obstetric clinics in suburban areas of Japan, only about one third of pregnant women use seatbelts consistently at a gestational age of 30 weeks or more which was extremely lower than UK (74.6%) or USA (83.8%). By being exempted from the required use seatbelts, pregnant women in Japan and their fetuses are at an increased risk of fatal injuries. We performed anthropometric studies to examine the risks of unrestrained pregnant women drivers and strongly suggest the necessity for promoting seatbelt use by pregnant women. Language: en