Staying safe on the road as your belly grows
Seat Belts
Whether you are pregnant or not, you should always use your seatbelt. Seatbelts may become slightly more uncomfortable as your belly grows, but it is decidedly more uncomfortable to be ejected from a car if you ever were in an accident. It is a myth that wearing a seatbelt can harm the baby if you are in an accident; researchers from the University of Michigan discovered that a pregnant woman who wears a seat belt greatly reduces the risk that she or her baby will die or be seriously hurt in a vehicle crash.
Wear the seat belt snuggly on your hips and over your thighs, not over your belly as that may increase the chance of a placenta abruption (where the placenta separates from the uterus) if you are in an accident.
Airbags
There is absolutely no evidence that deployment of car airbags in an accident will harm the fetus in any way. In fact, the air bag is more likely to save your life and your baby’s life.
Never turn off the air bags if your car has them. Instead, tilt your car seat and move it as far as possible from the dashboard or steering wheel.