New national recommendation on safety belt use during pregnancy
Nov, 06 2025
Wearing a safety belt correctly is crucial for safety – even during pregnancy. Despite this, many pregnant women position the belt incorrectly, which can increase the risk of injury to both the mother and the unborn child in the event of a collision. To raise awareness, the National Society for Road Safety (NTF), in collaboration with researchers from Chalmers Industriteknik, Folksam, If, SAFER, SIS/TK 242, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), and Volvo Cars, has developed a joint national recommendation for safety belt use during pregnancy.
Many pregnant women are not reached by information on how the safety belt should be worn. Furthermore, varying advice creates uncertainty.
Malin Lundgren, NTF
“Several of us work in different ways to share information related to in-car safety, and we recognised the need to develop a shared, research-based recommendation that we can all stand behind,” says Malin Lundgren at NTF.
A study conducted by Chalmers Industriteknik and Folksam shows that four in ten pregnant women use the safety belt incorrectly. This is despite the fact that every car journey carries a potential risk. The safety belt is the single most important safety system in the vehicle, designed to absorb and distribute crash forces across the body in a collision. The new recommendation provides step-by-step guidance on how to position the belt for optimal protection.
The national recommendation will be shared across multiple channels to reach the target group – pregnant women. In addition to websites and social media, the aim is for maternity care centres and other organisations that meet expectant mothers to help spread the information.
“The group of pregnant women is constantly renewed, which makes it especially important that we work together and continuously share this information,” says Malin Lundgren.
The recommendation also includes a warning against using so-called comfort products marketed as supplements to the car’s original safety belt system. Such products may, for example, redirect the belt away from the abdomen or prevent the diagonal belt from rubbing against the neck.
“We advise pregnant women to avoid these products. There are no crash test requirements for them, which makes it difficult to know how they affect the safety belt’s performance in the event of a collision. The car’s own safety belt is the safest option – if used correctly,” concludes Malin Lundgren.
