Additional seat belt safety precautions
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, routed between your breasts and away from your neck. Place the lap belt below your belly and pull the shoulder portion so that it fits SNUGLY across your hips and pelvic bone, under the rounded part of your belly.
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Pregnant women and patients are more vulnerable to any impacts on the abdomen during an abrupt stop or collision. If you are in an accident while pregnant, consult your doctor.
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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.
Infant and small children
All 50 states have Child Restraint System laws that require children to travel in approved Child Restraint System devices, including booster seats. The age at which seat belts can be used instead of Child Restraint System may be different among states, so you should be aware of the specific requirements in your state, and where you are travelling. Infant and Child Restraint System must be properly placed and installed in a rear seat.
For more information refer to the “Seat belt safety precautions” section in this chapter.
Always properly restrain infants and small children in a Child Restraint System appropriate for the child’s height and weight.
To reduce the risk of serious injury or death to a child and other passengers, never hold a child in your lap or arms when the vehicle is moving. Violent forces during a collision will tear the child from your arms and throw the child against the interior or to be ejected from the vehicle.
Small children are best protected from injury in an accident when properly restrained in the rear seat by a Child Restraint System that meets the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Before buying any Child Restraint System, make sure that it has a label certifying that it meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards FMVSS 213.
The Child Restraint System must be appropriate for your child’s height and weight. Check the label on the Child Restraint System for this information. Refer to the “Child Restraint System (CRS)” section in this chapter.
Larger children
Children under age 13 and who are too large for a booster seat should always occupy the rear seat and use the available lap/shoulder belts. A seat belt should be snug against the hips and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain the child safely. A child’s squirming could move the belt out of position. Adults should frequently check belt fit. In a collision, the safest place for children is in the rear seats, using a Child Restraint System appropriate for the child.
If a larger child over age 13 must be seated in the front seat, the child must be securely restrained by the available seat belt and the seat should be placed in the rearmost position.
If the shoulder belt portion slightly touches the child’s neck or face, try placing the child closer to the center of the vehicle. If the shoulder belt still touches their face or neck, the child needs to return to an appropriate booster seat in the rear seat.
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Always make sure larger children’s seat belts are buckled and properly adjusted.
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Never allow the shoulder belt to contact the child’s neck or face.
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Do not allow more than one child to use a single seat belt.
A seat belt should still be used when an injured person is being transported. Consult a physician for specific recommendations.
When two people (children or adults) are sitting together, never attempt to use a single seat belt. This could increase the severity of injuries in a collision.
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is moving can be dangerous. Even when buckled up, the protections of your restraint system (seat belts and/or airbags) is greatly reduced by reclining your seatback.
Seat belts must be snug against your hips and chest to work properly.
During a collision, you could be thrown into the seat belt, causing neck or other injuries.
The more the seat back is reclined, the greater the chance for the passenger’s hips to slide under the lap belt or the passenger’s neck to strike the shoulder belt.
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Never ride with a reclined seatback when the vehicle is moving.
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Riding with a reclined seatback increases your chance of serious or fatal injuries in the event of a collision or sudden stop.
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Driver and passengers should always sit well back in their seats with the seatbacks upright and should be belted properly.