On Informing Women of Child Bearing Age about Seat Belt Risk during Pregnancy

Abstract

Seat belts have been effective in reducing serious injuries and deaths in vehicular accidents. However, their use by women in the third trimester of pregnancy can cause placental damage and fetal injury or death in relatively minor motor vehicle accidents without severely injuring pregnant women. The lack of seat belt use in similar or more serious accidents could cause severe injuries or death to pregnant women from impacts within the cabin or from ejection, and in turn could lead to fetal injuries or deaths. The present study sought to determine whether women between the ages of 16 and 45 (child bearing age) would like to be informed of these risks. Ninety-nine of the 101 women surveyed indicated they would like to be informed of the risks, and that they would expect to find this information in the vehicle's owners manual. in dealing with the risks, some women indicated that they would wear the seatbelts and others indicated they would not. Most respondents indicated that they would reduce the risks by reducing their use of the vehicle during pregnancy. These results have implications for risk communications.