Sustainable Development Goal 11.2 calls to “…improve road safety...with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons”. 

With this target in mind, UNITAR’s Road Safety Training Initiative developed and launched the microlearning course “Car Safety during Pregnancy” aimed at raising awareness about the risks for pregnant women as passengers or drivers in a car, while providing them with recommendations on the proper use of seat belts during pregnancy.

Pregnant women are at increased risk of being seriously injured during a motor vehicle crash. In the United States for example, motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy are the leading cause of traumatic fetal mortality and serious maternal injury morbidity and mortality, injuring approximately 92,500 pregnant women each year (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA). With this course, UNITAR is emphasizing its support for this essential concern.

The microlearning course “Car Safety during Pregnancy” covers aspects such as how to position the seat and wear a seat belt to maximize the safety of pregnant drivers and passengers, as well as the safety of the unborn child. Research studies conducted by the NHTSA support the safety benefits to pregnant women from wearing seat belts and indicate that the best way to protect an unborn child is to protect the mother.