Analysis of the design of a car seatbelt : a study of the invention and a proposal to minimize the risk of injuries during pregnancy

Abstract

Current vehicle seat belts are not tested for performance with pregnant women and greatly ignore the damage that can be caused to an unborn baby. In fact, the automotive seat belt has undergone almost no change since it was first patented in 1958. The forces from the seat belt against an expectant mother's abdomen leads to the tearing of the placenta (known as placenta-abrupto) causing fetal demise. According to a study on Fetal Deaths Related to Maternal Injury, it was concluded that "motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fetal deaths related to maternal trauma" (H. B. Weiss et al., 2001). This thesis analyses the invention of the car seatbelt and the evolution of its engineering, the data that some studies have provided in regards to pregnancy and the use of the automobile and the causes of injuries and death of the unborn babies due to the design of the safety measures. The outcome of this work is a compilation of data through interviews and surveys of pregnant women, doctors and specialists and a proposal for an updated design of the current seatbelt that is nowadays being used worldwide to minimize the risk of injuries during pregnancy. The analysis of the data is integrated in a proposal of improvement for the current design and future steps to be taken in order to enhance the material structure of the three-point seatbelt design.