Due to the release of a recent study which stated that pregnant women are at a 42-percent higher risk of getting into accidents, Van Hyundai would like to offer up some simple driving tips for mothers to be. The study we're citing was conducted in Ontario, Canada by an emergency-room doctor, Donald Redelmeier, and his team of researchers. Over a period of six years, they kept track of the driving habits and accident rates of approximately 500,000 women, and very recently published the startling statistic mentioned above. They also noted that the risk of getting into accidents was the most acute during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Redelmeier stated that his pregnant patients always had a long list of questions for him regarding what they could and could not do while pregnant, but none ever asked how pregnancy and all the symptoms that come along with it (stress, fatigue, hormonal imbalance) might affect their driving. So, he decided to conduct a study to find out himself.
While Redelmeier says women don't have to give up driving entirely, he stressed that they should focus on practicing safe driving habits, as all of the accidents that occurred during the study could have been avoided with simple changes in driving behavior. On that note, we'd like to offer a list of safe driving practices that you should follow, especially if you plan to be or are currently pregnant.
- Take stress off yourself by allowing others to drive whenever possible.
- Always wear your seatbelt and never cheat by placing the belt over your belly or the shoulder strap behind your back.
- Tilt the seatback slightly away from the steering wheel for a more comfortable seating position and, if possible, tilt the steering wheel toward your breastbone rather than your abdomen.
- Make sure you tell your husband or a loved one where you're going, even in cases when you'll simply be running errands.
- Keep water and healthy snacks in the car in case of emergency situations.
- Be a defensive driver and always keep in mind that you can significantly reduce the chance of being in an accident by following simple rules like using your turn signals, coming to full stops at stop signs, looking before you merge, staying a proper distance away from vehicles in front of you and never using your phone on the road.
- If you can't avoid taking a long trip, plan to take breaks along the way.
- Also try to avoid driving at night, but if you must, just make sure you have your lights turned on, use your signals and keep an eye out for others.
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