5 Tips for Safer Driving While Pregnant

A pregnancy is risky enough without adding to it the risk of driving while pregnant. Fortunately, you don't have to become immobile. There are ways to keep you and your unborn child safe while you drive. You can get many tips from your auto insurance company, and if you have any questions you should surely contact them. To add to the information you desperately need, here are 5 tips for safer driving while pregnant.

Wear Your Seatbelt at All Times

This is the obvious first choice. It is common sense, but it is easy to forgo as you move later into your pregnancy. Seatbelts can become uncomfortable as your baby bulge gets larger. Confirm this with your doctor, but the belt will have no adverse effects on your pregnancy, though it may save your life and your child's life if you wear it always. It is the law and the risk of injury is much less if you wear it consistently.

Only Drive When Absolutely Necessary

As you get closer to your due date, it is a good idea to reduce your driving. Freedom and independence are tough to give up, but you should only drive when absolutely necessary at this point. As you enter your third trimester, the need to drive you should seriously begin to take a back seat to the safety of you and your child. Earlier in the pregnancy it is not necessary to reduce your driving, but as the pregnancy progresses, reducing the amount of driving as well as avoiding night driving is a sound precaution to take.

Position Yourself Correctly to Take Advantage of Air Bags

There are many women who will disconnect their air bags once they become pregnant. The scary stories of the damage that an air bag can do to a person and an unborn baby have lead to this misinformation. An airbag is necessary to protect you and your child from a crash. The key is to position yourself in the proper manner so as to avoid damage and to protect you and your child from a violent collision. Make sure there is 10 to 12 inches of space between your belly and the air bag. This may require you to raise the steering wheel as well as move your seat back an inch or two if possible.

Prepare for Health Emergencies

Your health is constantly at risk during a pregnancy, and this can multiply when you get behind the wheel. A sudden health emergency can put you and the baby at risk. You can be prepared though. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Have a snack handy to control irregular blood sugar levels
Have water available at all times
Keep cell phone handy and fully charged
Know the route to allow for safe breaks (bathroom and leg stretching)

Take Advantage of Auto Insurance Roadside Assistance

Your auto insurance company may offer roadside assistance. If it is not a part of your policy, you may want to consider adding it to your policy if you become pregnant. Roadside assistance can be a lifeline if you are stuck on the side of the road in a precarious position. The more emergency numbers you have at your disposal when you are pregnant the better off you will be.

If you are planning on adding to your auto insurance policy, it is a good time to review your policy. Changes to your policy may mean that your current provider is no longer your best option. You can compare auto insurance rates with online rate quotes to find the most coverage available at a price that fits in your budget.

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