2-32
Safety system of your vehicle
Additional Seat Belt Safety
Precautions
Seat belt use during pregnancy
The seat belt should always be used
during pregnancy. The best way to
protect your unborn child is to protect
yourself by always wearing the seat
belt.
Pregnant women should always wear
a lap-shoulder seat belt. Place the
shoulder belt across your chest, rout-
ed between your breasts and away
from your neck. Place the lap belt line
so that it fits snugly and as low as pos-
sible across the hips, not across the
abdomen.
Seat belt use and children
Infant and small children
All 50 states have child restraint laws
which require children to travel in
approved child restraint devices,
including booster seats. The age at
which seat belts can be used instead
of child restraints differs among
states, so you should be aware of the
specific requirements in your state,
and where you are travelling. Infant
and child restraints must be properly
placed and installed in a rear seat.
For more information refer to the
"Child Restraint Systems" section in
this chapter.
•A pregnant woman or a
patient is more vulnerable to
any imapcts on the abdomen
during an abrupt stop or acci-
dent. If you are in an accident
while pregnant, we recom-
mend you consult your doc-
tor.
•To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death to an unborn
child during an accident,
pregnant women should
NEVER place the lap portion
of the seat belt above or over
the area of the abdomen
where the unborn child is
located.
WARNING
