In this paper, case reports of 16 crashes involving pregnant occupants are presented that illustrate the main conclusions of a crash-investigation programme that includes 42 crashes investigated to date. Some unusual cases that are exceptions to the overall trends are also described. The study indicates a strong association between adverse foetal outcome and both crash severity and maternal injury. Proper restraint use, with and without airbag deployment, generally causes acceptable foetal outcomes in lower severity crashes, while it does not affect foetal outcome in high-severity crashes. Compared to properly restrained pregnant occupants, improperly restrained occupants have a higher risk of adverse foetal outcome in lower severity crashes, which comprise the majority of all motor vehicle collisions. (A)
Samenvatting