Police request pregnant women to fasten their seat belts in cars

police will "request" pregnant women wear seatbelts? Well, that will make all the difference. Everyone listens to the police and obeys traffic and parking laws in Japan. If a woman is too stupid to know that wearing a seatbelt will save her and her childs life, what difference is a police request going to make?

Why did it take so long for this change of rule? In other countries the increase of safety with a seat belt is known for a long time. And the reports are easily available, even within Japan. Actually the Japanese JAF cooperates with the German ADAC automobile club, and they promote the correct usage of seat belts

mothers who do not wear seat belts and their unborn babies than among those who do wear belts and their unborn babies.

A truly bizarre piece of translation... the mothers are wearing seatbelts and their unborn babies??

It would have sufficed to say "pregnant women," who, by definition, "wear" an unborn baby.

I have seen many cases of children in front-facing child seats placed in the front passenger seat. Aside from the danger of an exploding airbag, this just doesn't make sense, and by law they should be in the back...

Moderator: It has been corrected.

This is kinda stunningly stupid. Hello? Common sense? Even if you have a large pregnant belly,(speaking as someone who currently has one) you can move the lap belt BELOW your tummy to avoid injury, and if thats not enough, they sell special pregnancy belt extenders to accomodate pregnant women. 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!

‘‘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.

"Oh, no. I can't wear a seat belt. It will hurt my unborn child." So I guess some woman would rather be launched through the windshield and slam into (a) a pole, (b) a tree, (c) the pavement and being run over by other vehicles or (d) all of the above. Unbelievable!

Oh yeah! Mr. Policeman...why don't you at the same time "request" drivers to obey the law about restraining their children properly instead of letting them stick their heads out the window? Again...unbelievable!!

S

hey will not arrest pregnant women even if they don’t fasten their seat belts

Arrest??? Do Japanese police arrest people for not wearing seat belts? Nice Engrish!

Seat belts ARE dangerous for pregnant mothers. I don't know where these guys get their info. If a pregnant mother is in a car accident that is serious enough to cause trauma to a fetus the seat belt is more likely to be the cause of the trauma. Pregnant mothers should sit in the back seat of a car with a pillow on their lap or take a train, so they can stand up while some high school kid pretends to sleep in the priority seat.

Serindipity,

Are you serious?? Hopefully you are just being sarcastic about the "seat belts ARE dangerous for pregnant mothers" bit. They are MUCH safer than being unrestrained in a collision. Sit in the back with a pillow??? What is that exactly supposed to accomplish? If the mother is in an accident bad enough to hurt the fetus, then it is the fault of the accident, not the safety belt. Again, do not place the lap belt directly ON your belly, you place it below...on your lap...like an airplane. Common sense.

Having my wife and unborn son (at six months) involved in a major head on collision all I can say is that the seatbelt, airbag, and the crumble zones saved their lives. Any one with a brain knows to wear a seatbelt at all times unless you’re driving on an ice road.

Any one with a brain knows to wear a seatbelt at all times unless you’re driving on an ice road.

Huh? If you don't wear a seatbelt on an icy road you'll soon belong to that "without a brain" group.

Pregnant mothers should sit in the back seat of a car with a pillow on their lap or take a train, so they can stand up while some high school kid pretends to sleep in the priority seat.

Enough coddling. They should walk.

Never mind the pregnant mothers. The NPA should be ordering those mothers with kids in the car to have them buckle up the kids! I'm sick to death of seeing these irresponsible drivers allowing their kids to jump around the back seat, or worse - stand in the foot wells of the front passenger seat!

According to the NPA, the current ministerial ordinance exempts pregnant women from the obligation to fasten seat belts.

Are they having a laugh?? So going through the windscreen is better? utter stupidity

Yeah, apologies people. I was being sarcastic in my previous post. As we say in Australia, "seat belts save lives!" and should be worn by every passenger in the car regardless of their physical condition. Now, if the Japanese police would actually do something about it instead sending stupid little reports to the media there would be a point to this article.

And, BTW, - Ice Road is a compound noun referring to a road made of ice, which usually runs a cross a frozen lake. People do not wear seat belts in case the ice breaks and they have to get out quickly. Whereas, an icy road refers to the actual condition of the road. Got it?

Van driving women in Saitama drive around with the baby on lap. SCARY !!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

(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.

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.

oh and for all the scenarios! that is all big fat IFS, or who's being prophetic?

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.

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.

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.

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.