Driving
while Pregnant: Safety Tips from Tampa Car Accident Attorney
Dale Appell, P.A.
There
is an old cliché that when you're pregnant, you're eating
for two. You could also say that, when you are pregnant, you
are driving for two. Expectant mothers worry about many different
situations and how they affect the health of their baby, including
driving while pregnant. This concern is perfectly understandable.
A pregnant woman can see for herself that the steering wheel,
seatbelt, and dashboard could all pose a risk to her baby
if an accident occurred. To ease your mind about the potential
dangers of driving while pregnant, please consider these tips
from Tampa car accident attorney Dale Appell, P.A.:
-
During the first trimester of your pregnancy (the first
3 months), your baby is well protected by your uterus and
abdominal wall. During this time, your baby is still susceptible
to trauma, but not as susceptible as in the later months
of the pregnancy.
-
It is more common for an auto accident to injure the mother
or the placenta (a wall of flesh providing nutrition to
the baby) than to injure the baby itself. Therefore, expectant
mothers should protect their own bodies from car accident
injuries as much as possible.
-
This being said, always wear a seatbelt, including the lap
belt and shoulder belt.
-
Wear the lap belt around your hip bones, not around your
belly.
-
Keep airbags activated.
-
Be the passenger, rather than the driver, whenever possible.
-
When in the car as a passenger, stick with someone that
you know will drive cautiously.
-
Drive in a car or truck that allows as much room as possible
between the steering wheel and the abdomen, at least 10
inches. Many car models allow you to move the steering wheel
up, maximizing the space between the belly and the wheel.
-
Have adjustable pedal attachments professionally installed;
they allow you to sit farther away from the steering
wheel.
-
Try not to drive in hazardous conditions such as in rain
or heavy traffic.
For
every woman who is pregnant and driving, there are at least
two lives at stake. Tampa car accident
attorney Dale Appell, P.A. is committed to fighting for
justice for mothers and their unborn children.
Pregnant
or not, we invite anyone injured in an automobile accident
in the Tampa Bay area to contact us for a free consultation
about your case. Our personal injury law firm serves towns,
cities, and counties across West Central Florida including
Sun City Center, Temple Terrace, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater,
St Petersburg, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Safety Harbor, Thonotosassa,
Sarasota, and beyond.
|
