Police request pregnant women to fasten their seat belts in cars

Friday 12th September, 12:31 PM JST

TOKYO —

The National Police Agency (NPA) on Thursday said it will request pregnant women to use seat belts in cars for their safety.

According to the NPA, the current ministerial ordinance exempts pregnant women from the obligation to fasten seat belts. But since a report by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology in April suggested an effective way of fastening seat belts for pregnant women, the NPA has decided to change the law.

However, NPA officials said they will not arrest pregnant women even if they don’t fasten their seat belts but educate them to do so over the next few months.

The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both estimate that traffic accidents cause up to a combined 10,000 cases of miscarriages and premature births as well as 40 deaths of pregnant women annually.

To reduce the casualties, the groups decided to incorporate the recommendation into a doctors’ guideline, set to be released shortly, and urge doctors to explain to mothers that a seat belt can lessen the impact of an accident on their bodies if it is used appropriately.

According to Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, professor at the University of Tsukuba, many people misunderstand a Road Traffic Law provision that exempts pregnant women from wearing a seat belt in cases where doing so would affect their health, and mistakenly believe that such women should not wear seat belts.

Understanding about the effectiveness of wearing a seat belt is not sufficient among doctors either, according to Hiroshi Murao from the Nambu medical center in Okinawa Prefecture.

‘‘If the seat belt is the three-part type that also holds your shoulder and it is used properly, there is no need to worry’’ about possible pressure on the stomach during a crash, Murao said.

The report also recommends that a seat belt be placed over both the shoulder and waist, but not on the stomach.

Some overseas studies indicate that the fatality rate from traffic accidents is higher among pregnant women who do not wear seat belts and their unborn babies than among those who do wear belts.

Wire reports

Latest 15 of 30 Total Comments Show All

YangYong at 05:45 PM JST - 12th September

Wouldn't basic human common sense scream at you, wouldn't it just be instinctive to protect your unborn child? Weird. Then you see kids sat on granny's lap in the front seat, no seat belt, wowo, a kid missle.

Nessie: The poster didn't write 'icy', they wrote 'ice'. An ice road goes over water, it's an ice road, a road made only of ice... over water. You don't wear a seat belt when traversing one, why? Figure it out for fun.
Bento at 05:57 PM JST - 12th September

basic common sense might hint at reading the complete thread of comments before posting your own..serendipity beat you to the ice road definition YangYong..but i guess you`ll not read this post either.
Canukle at 06:34 PM JST - 12th September

Serindipity,

Understood, thought that you were using the old sarcasm, but on here you never know.
Ah, ice roads, the joy of the lovely crackling sound that scares you stiff every time.
DeepAir65 at 09:21 PM JST - 12th September

Now, if they could just pass a law...or yknow get people to keep their kids from jumping up and down in the front/back seats of cars instead of being strapped in properly then we`ll be making some progress!

there is such a law but they choose to ignore it. from october I believe they will stop educating people and start to fine and give points
pointofview at 09:56 PM JST - 12th September

But after the kids are born they`ll be hangin out in the front walking around without any belt on. Seems to be very common here.
cow76 at 10:10 PM JST - 12th September

Massive fines for idiots who don't wear seatbelts, heavily inforced, please. Obviously there are a whole heap of people with no common sense at all who need a different incentive other than protecting the lives of the ones they love.
Betting at 10:24 PM JST - 12th September

Due to bad lighting on a very bad road my sister-in-law hit a parked car (doh!) at 60kmph while she was driving and pregnant. Luckily she was wearing a seatbelt and the car had an airbag. She survived with a bad scare and bruising and unborn son was perfectly okay.
romulus3 at 10:38 PM JST - 12th September

COP: could you please wear a seat belt? just a request. you don't have too. I mean your other kids are dashing about all over the car as it is. Look! is that not one of the under the break pedal? sorry for intruding by the way. (z)

Pregnant woman: I will talk with my family about it. thank you for the kind advise. Now the slot machine is ready to explode according to the text I just got on my mobile so I have to go now.

(Z)

COP: ok, sorry, good luck
illsayit at 11:00 PM JST - 12th September

(sowhosewho)

What are you talking about Australia for. I know they are so uptight about rules for seatbelts, that's why I like it here! And pleeeeeease where is the proven beyond a doubt stats on safety of wearing a setbelt. I think it stinks! I told the policeman last time actually and he laughed!

It is just disappointing that in a time when most young women are scared to have children, that there is always another, and you have to be careful of such and such, tactic.
Mark_McCracken at 11:01 PM JST - 12th September

How is the National Police Agency is able to change the law? Anyone know? Seriously. I don't get it. What authority does the NPA have to create laws? Perhaps a lawyer could explain it.
illsayit at 11:02 PM JST - 12th September

oh and for all the scenarios! that is all big fat IFS, or who's being prophetic?
martyman at 11:32 PM JST - 12th September

NPA officials said they will not arrest pregnant women even if they don’t fasten their seat belts but educate them to do so over the next few months

I haven't heard of anyone being arrested for not wearing seat belts, but I would suggest if the law is changed to just write them a ticket and have the pregnant ladies buckle up before sending them on their way.
serindipity at 12:48 AM JST - 13th September

illsayit - And pleeeeeease where is the proven beyond a doubt stats on safety of wearing a setbelt.

If you are so dead set against seat belts and doubt their effectiveness Australia is a good example for your education. You should research the difference in annual fatalities before and after seat belts became compulsory. I'm not gonna do it for ya! Seat belts save lives! And, ignorance is bliss - until you are killed in a car accident because you weren't wearing a seat belt, of course.
kjunluc2 at 03:08 AM JST - 13th September

One solution: Don't get pregnant.

Question: If a woman is carrying septuplets, 8 pounds per, is she immune to the seatbelt law?

Jest funnin'. When Indiana passed a law that pickup drivers had to wear seatbelts I would forget to buckle up. Would have to do it underway; very dangerous. Have been lucky. A couple times just got it on when I met a cop.

Big fine and points off of drivers license. Very strict on it here.
cwhite at 06:40 PM JST - 13th September

it would be nice if they could design the seat-belt to something a bit more humanly ergonomic rather than a synthetic strip of material that cuts into you especially depending on your chest height.