What's the legal position on traveling by car to the hospital in labour without a seatbelt?

[whomovedmychocolate]

Idle curiousity - but does anyone know if it's legal to go on all fours with no belt on if you have to? I'm just imagining that sitting in the passenger seat tightly reigned in can't be much fun

I lay writhing across the back seat. I could not have put a belt on if I had wanted too. Lots of shouting at DH to slow down round the roundabouts and over bumps I seem to recall too.

isn't it only a legal requirement that an adult wears a seatbelt in the front of the car?

No legal to wear in the back too but the adult gets prosecuted not the driver if it is an adult in the back not strapped in. Child in back not strapped in, driver pays.

nope apparently they [http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm must be worn]] if available

link again

I mean legal requirement. I didn't give it a moments thought when I was in labour though and I am a stickler for the rules esp car safety etc.

Maybe it would be an idea to leave for the hospital before you get to the stage where you can't sit and be strapped in safely.

NAB, that would have been impossible for mewith ds2! I woke up in agony, woke DO who rang my mum to watch DS1...she arrived 20 mins later and off we went, DS2 was born within half an hour of us arriving at hosp!

I think there are legal exemptions on medical grounds.

I don't remember not wearing my seatbelt when in labour but I do remember over 20 years ago, coming out of hospital with an 8 inch scar down my stomach having had major abdominal surgery. There was no way I could have put a seat belt around me and I am sure my mother told me it was ok on medical grounds not to.

Any policeman who prosecuted a woman in labour for not wearing a seatbelt would be a sadist indeed.

Though of course, I agree with the safety implications.

Just a thought.

I am pmsl at chirpygirl's :

"I also remember telling him to stop turning f*cking corners and drive straight, you bastard"

I know my operation was 20 years ago and legislation has changed since then, but not for adults I think...

I imagine it would be good advice for a woman in labour who was determined not to wear her seatblet to sit in the back of the car. The passenger seat is the most dangerous one I think?

Legaility aspect from Government website:

You may be exempt from wearing a seat belt on medical grounds. Your doctor will issue a Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing if they decide it is not suitable for you to wear a seat belt on medical grounds. This must be produced if the police ask you for it.

You must wear a seat belt if you are pregnant unless your doctor certifies that you are exempt on medical grounds. Wearing your seat belt safely will help protect you and your unborn child.

Yes, back seat would be safer, but don't sit behind the driver - if there was a crash, then you'd risk also injuring (or worse) the driver inf ront of you.

I had a 40 min drive, and nothing in heaven or hell could have pursuaded me to sit with the belt on - was on all 4's on the back seat throwing up and screaming by then. Though logically I do recognise all the valid reasons for wearing the seatbelt. Didn't notice anything 'in between' contractions, because tbh there was no respite from the pain. Apparently ds was back to back with me which can cause that(?).

All this is why i'm soooo glad my waters broke early in labour... got to drive in fairly calmly for a check-over instead of being in full on labour.

My main concern was not leaking through the towel onto DH's seats. lmao.

This is one of the reasons I insisted on going to shopital in a black cab - so that I could crawl if I needed to. I think it highly unlikely that a labouring woman would be prosecuted if pulled over by a police car and found not to be using a seatbelt. Far more liekly to get a blues-and-tunes escort!

Am usually a big stickler for all car safety issues but I spent journey to hospital on knees in passenger seat facing backwards hanging over the back moaning, screaming and with no thought about a belt - luckily it was through a built-up area and i was screaming at dh to go slower cos the movement HURT so much. unluckily it was saturday morning on bank holiday weekend at seaside resort and we had to go through centre of town and MASSES of people around and we kept having to stop. By the time we got to hosp ambulance men helped me out and tried to get me to sit in a wheelchair - NOOOOOOOO - and I was eventually manhandled up onto a trolley and wheeled to delivery suite - unsuprisingly was fully dilated...

Betty - he did insist on going round them, the git. I even had a nice route mapped out that was no traffic lights and good roads with no bumps, but he wasn't listening to me screaming directions at him for some reason