Pregnant Crash Dummies

I have often wondered how car manufacturers determine the safety of a pregnant woman, if she were in an accident. Apparently, the pregnant woman’s thorax and pelvis are both restrained by the belt, but her abdomen is free to move in the direction determined by the impact. This presents a serious problem for the fetus, since it is basically floating inside her. It has been shown that the most common injury is that the placenta becomes partially or completely detached. This prevents the baby from getting enough oxygen. Other less common injuries are physical injuries due to impact with the mother’s pelvic bones, the car’s interior or an airbag.

I am not the only one wondering what happens to a pregnant woman in an automobile accident. Volvo, in 2000, developed the world’s first official computer model of a pregnant crash dummy. They call it Linda. They chose to develop a computer model because it would be way too difficult to build a physical model, plus it can put through as many crashes as they need to and it won’t wear out.

These days, the automobile airbag systems are under scrutiny and there are new rules for airbags that require testing and certification with high risk drivers and passengers including pregnant women. Automobile manufactures are searching for a safer airbag solution. Initially, safety research with pregnant crash dummies focused on seat belt safety and the findings weren’t good. Seat belts keep the mom safe but don’t protect the fetus. Now, airbag research is even worse. It shows that airbags can do more harm than good for a pregnant woman in an automobile accident. The government recommends being no closer than 10 inches from the airbag, and private researchers recommend 12 inches from the airbag. For now, the government recommends that people who are at risk of injury from airbags, which includes pregnant women, apply for permission to have an airbag switch installed.