Other Modes of Travel

Wear your seat belt any time you are seated, even if the seat belt sign is turned off. Turbulence can strike suddenly and has caused severe injuries. Place the belt below the curve of your belly so it rests on your hips in a similar manner to the lap belt in your car. Be sure to adequately tighten the seat belt. Airplane seat belts typically do not have the automatic tensioning feature that automobile seat belts do. 

Pregnant occupants should ride in the front seat. The front seat provides best protection for a pregnant passenger in an RV. Seat belts in the front seats of an RV are required to meet federal safety standards. The seat belts in the rear of an RV are not held to the same standards as other vehicle seat belts. A seat belt in the rear of an RV may not provide the same level of protection in a crash. There also may not be as many airbag and crumple zone features in the back. 

Wear your seat belt every time you are in a vehicle. Using your seat belt properly is extremely important if you are riding in the second or third rows of a vehicle. If you have the option of riding in the front seat please take that opportunity. The front seat provides much more protection in a crash than the back seat. Please adjust the height of the shoulder belt on the wall or the vehicle seat recline if needed.

Even though buses and trains often do not have seat belts, statistics have shown that they are a safe way to travel. You can keep riding the bus or train if that is a common way you travel. There is not an official recommendation on the safest place to sit in a bus. 

Always wear a helmet any time you are riding a bicycle or scooter, even for short trips or on sidewalks and side streets. The potential for head injury does not change just because you are on a side street. It is also just as important for adults to wear helmets as it is for children. Discuss with your provider if there may be a time you need to stop using a bicycle or scooter. Pregnancy can affect balance and there may be other factors of your pregnancy to consider.

Vintage and classic vehicles lack many of the safety features that are standard in modern vehicles. Vehicle safety systems have improved immensely over the years. Improvements in seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and other vehicle design changes have led to a significant reduction in injuries and fatalities. If a pregnant person has the option to use a newer vehicle it is recommended that they ride in that vehicle rather than a vintage or classic vehicle.