Seat belts and air bags when you're pregnant

Buckling up through every stage of pregnancy is the most effective way to protect yourself and the baby in a crash. The belt goes across the pelvis and rib cage, which take crash forces better than other parts of the body.

In 2024, 22,713 people riding in passenger vehicles were killed in crashes, and nearly half of those whose belt use was known weren't buckled. Wearing a seat belt in the front seat of a car cuts the risk of a fatal injury by 45%, and in a pickup, van or SUV by 60%.

Wearing the belt

• Put the lap belt below your bellyIt sits snugly across your hips and pelvic bone, never over or on top of the belly.
• Run the shoulder belt across your chestIt goes between your breasts and away from your neck, but still on the shoulder.
• Pull the slack out of the belt
• Keep the shoulder belt in front of youNever put it under your arm or behind your back.
• Wear it on every trip, driving or riding

Setting the seat

• Sit uprightReclining the seat more than you need to opens a gap between your shoulder and the belt.
• Move the seat back as far as you can while still reaching the pedals and the wheelKeep as much room as you can between your belly and the steering wheel, and don't let your belly touch it.
• Adjust the steering wheel if you need more roomIf you still can't keep your belly clear of the wheel, have someone else drive if you can.
• As a passenger, move the seat all the way back

Air bags and after a crash

• Leave the air bags onIf the car has an on-off switch for the air bags, keep it set to on. Seat belts and air bags work together to give you and the baby the best protection.
• Wear the belt even with air bagsAir bags are built to work with seat belts, not to replace them. Without a belt, you can be thrown into an opening air bag, the inside of the car or another passenger, or out of the car.
• Get medical care after any crashGo even if you don't think you're hurt, whether you were driving or riding.