The Facts On Pregnancy and Driving

If a pregnant woman uses her safety belt correctly, the foetal injury risk is reduced significantly. This knowledge stems from Volvo Cars’ research on car safety for unborn babies and their mothers. Volvo Cars has developed a virtual crash test dummy to simulate frontal impacts during pregnancy.

Car safety for unborn children is an area that is not well documented, since foetal injury and death often do not show in statistics. For the baby to remain unharmed in a car crash it is important with safety measures for the pregnant woman. The first thing to do is to always wear a safety belt, and yet not all women do.

Virtual Pregnant Crash Test Dummy

Volvo Cars contributes to an increased awareness of safety for pregnant drivers and knowledge of how to protect their unborn babies. One innovation in this field is a virtual pregnant crash test dummy. The model can be used to simulate how a pregnant woman moves in a crash and how the foetus moves inside her. Her proportions correspond to those of an average sized woman in the final stage of pregnancy, approximately week 36.

The virtual crash test dummy is used to simulate impact tests in frontal collisions.

"The computer model makes it possible to study in detail how the occupant moves and how

the safety belt and airbag affect the woman and the foetus, including surrounding structures," says

Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars.

"This means that the engineers can simulate the impact on mother and unborn baby in collisions

at different speeds, and use the model to test for example safety belt designs under development".

Pregnant women should always wear a safety belt

It is always better to wear a safety belt than not to, and pregnant women like everyone else should make sure to always buckle up correctly. Do like this:

– Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt can be placed as close to the body as possible.

– Pull the lap belt over the thighs, lying flat under the belly.

– Make sure the torso belt is positioned between the breasts.

– Pull tight.

The positioning of the safety belt is important so that the occupant is restrained over the body’s stronger areas – like the upper torso and pelvis – thus protecting the weaker parts of the body, such as the soft abdomen containing the fragile foetus. Studies on the virtual pregnant crash test dummy show that the driver airbag offers protection for both the mother and the foetus.

Common injuries for unborn babies and their mothers

Injuries unique to pregnant occupants involved in crashes include placental abruption, uterine rupture or laceration and direct foetal injury. The most common type of injury is a separated placenta. The placenta then becomes partially or completely detached, meaning that the baby can not get enough oxygen and nutrients, which can be fatal for the baby.

"Our research shows that the best protection for pregnant women and their unborn babies is for the mother to wear her three-point safety belt, and to wear it properly. This reduces the foetal injury risk significantly", says Lotta Jakobsson.

Potential injury risks for unborn babies in car crashes

1. Non-fatal but possible long-term consequences

– Separated placenta (most documented)

>Foetal distress

– Early delivery

> Breathing and nervous system disorders

– Direct foetal injury

> Arm and leg injuries

2. Fatal

– Death of mother

– Separated placenta

– Ruptured uterus

– Baby skull fracture

Image and information courtesy of Volvo Cars.