Wearing a seatbelt while you are pregnant
About seat belts while you are pregnant
Your baby
You need to wear a seatbelt when you are pregnant.
- Research shows that when you wear a seatbelt there is much less risk of injury to you and your unborn baby.
The law in Australia says that you have to use a seatbelt when you are pregnant – at every stage of your pregnancy.
You may worry that a seatbelt will hurt the baby or you may find it uncomfortable. However, a seatbelt that is worn properly does not put much pressure on your abdomen or your unborn baby.
There is a penalty for not wearing a seatbelt and you can be fined.
Your baby
The law says that you must have a suitable child restraint (capsule) fitted into your car for your baby. It may be a good idea to get one well before your baby is born to avoid having to do it in a rush.
There is more information about babies in the topic Seatbelts and baby car restraints.
The content of this fact sheet was provided by the South Australian Government's Children, Youth and Women's Health Service. The South Australian Government does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of this reproduction.
For all emergencies,
please call 000 immediately
Remember, the information in these information pages is of a general nature only and should not be used or relied on as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see your health care professional.
