Can pregnant women not wear a seat belt?

When you become pregnant, various day-to-day tasks are altered due to the changes in your body. In most cases, the belly that starts to protrude can make simple tasks, such as driving, uncomfortable. Can the seat belt be dispensed with in these cases?

.

What does the law say?

You can see in the Regulation on the Use of Safety Accessories, in Ordinance no. 311-A/2005, of March 24th, that the use of seat belts is compulsory. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as the existence of a medical certificate exempting you from having to wear a seatbelt.

Pregnant women are therefore obliged to use this safety accessory, except in rare cases where the doctor identifies an issue that justifies the certificate, in which case the information must be sent to the competent authorities, i.e. the IMT.

.

Precautions for use

Seat belts should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations so that, in the event of an accident, damage is kept to a minimum. In the case of more vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, it is even more important to follow the recommendations to the letter.

.

Indications for belt use:

• Use a 3-point seat belt;

• Adjust the height;

• Pass the diagonal strap across the center of the shoulder, between the chest and the side of the belly;

• Pull the lower strap as low as possible;

• Do not use devices that prevent the belt from working properly.

.

Some people with a protruding abdomen are in the habit of slipping the lower strap of the belt under their legs and sitting on it, thus running the serious risk of hanging by the diagonal strap in the event of an accident.

.

Can the airbag be harmful?

The airbag, like the seatbelt, is a safety device which, if used correctly, helps to reduce the risk of serious injury to the driver and passengers. Therefore, by using the belt correctly and keeping a distance of at least 25 centimeters from the airbag, the driver's head is guaranteed protection.

.

Translated with DeepL.com