Correct Seatbelt Positioning For Pregnant Car Occupants

ABSTRACT

@#Correct seatbelt wearing is a prerequisite for the protection of a pregnant woman and her baby in the event of a crash. However, because of discomfort due to large abdomen and wrong belief, pregnant women may avoid using the safety belt or may wear it not according to the correct position as recommended. This research aims to assess the overall prevalence of seatbelt wearing and the proportion of correct seatbelt wearing among pregnant car occupants. A face-to-face interview survey was conducted on 503 pregnant car occupants in Klang Valley who are visiting pregnancy clinics for their monthly check-up. Seatbelt wearing rate among pregnant car occupants was recorded high for front occupant, 90% for driver and 85% for front passenger. However, rear passenger seatbelt compliance was low, only 24% reported always wearing seatbelt when they occupy the rear seats. Despite the high compliance rate of seatbelt usage among pregnant occupants, the correct positioning of the seatbelt was only 29% of overall respondents. The findings of the study suggest low percentage of correct seatbelt usage among pregnant occupants could increase the risk of injury in event of a crash. Thus, awareness and educations needed to advocate pregnant lady on the correct adjustment of seatbelt.