Latest news from Loughborough University
| 12 January 2004 | PR 04/01 |
Research reveals safety issues for pregnant car users
Research at Loughborough University is revealing that the majority of pregnant car occupants are not wearing seatbelts correctly. Of the 400 pregnant women who took part in the government funded project ‘Automotive Design: Incorporating the Needs of Pregnant Women’, 87% are not following the Department of Transport and medical guidelines to position their seatbelts.
Dr Serpil Acar of Loughborough’s Department of Computer Science, the principal investigator of the project, outlines the findings of the research: “Recommended guidelines specify that seatbelts should be worn throughout pregnancy with the lap strap across the hips and fitting under the bump while the diagonal strap is placed between the breasts and around the bump. But our research reveals that most pregnant women are not aware of these guidelines or, in some cases find it impractical to follow the guidelines. Some pregnant women experience discomfort, they pull and hold the seatbelt away from their bodies and some do not even wear the seatbelt at all. Pregnant car users who improvise to increase comfort might be risking their lives and those of their unborn babies in case of an accident”.
The research aims to capture the many changes women undergo during pregnancy by recording 49 sets of body measurements of 100 women. These measurements have created a database of body changes. “Physical changes such as enlargement of the breasts and curvature of the spine as well as the growing bump can affect how the seatbelts are worn. Furthermore these changes do not take place in isolation, they interact”, adds Dr Acar. “Getting in and out of the car, loading and unloading the car boot also need careful design decisions without compromising the safety, ease, and comfort of non-pregnant drivers and passengers”.
The experience of 400 pregnant women has also been recorded through an online questionnaire.
Dr Serpil Acar and her research assistant Miss Alix Weekes will present their research findings as an electronic resource, to enable car designers to readily incorporate the needs of pregnant women.
Dr Acar and her team are now two years into their research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Ford, Jaguar, Nissan and the restraint systems and airbag manufacturer AutoLiv are collaborating on the study, and MIRA, the Motor Industry Research Association, will be communicating the research findings to the automotive industry. Malcolm Griffiths, a leading consultant from Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust, has also contributed with his obstetrics expertise.
Dr Acar believes that there is a need for a wider campaign to raise awareness about positioning seatbelts during pregnancy as advised by the medical experts and the government. More research will also be necessary to produce tools for the industry to consider the needs of pregnant women.
Dr Acar has recently been awarded further EPSRC Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre funding for a pregnant crash test dummy as a tool for improving car safety. The researchers will incorporate the existing body measurement data into the crash test dummy to help manufacturers’ safety research.
“This is very exciting new interdisciplinary research and through our design tools and resources we hope to make a real difference to the quality of pregnant women’s lives, initially where cars are concerned, but ultimately in design throughout every aspect of their lives,” concludes Dr Acar.
Dr Acar is very interested in hearing from women who would like to discuss any design challenges they have experienced during pregnancy as car users. A questionnaire can be completed online at http://pregnantdriver.lboro.ac.uk
ENDS
For further information contact:
Dr Serpil Acar, Department
of Computer Science,
E: S.Acar@lboro.ac.uk
Anna Seddon, Marketing Manager, Loughborough University Enterprises Ltd, T: 01509 223445, E: A.J.Seddon@lboro.ac.uk
Hannah Baldwin, Head
of Publicity, Loughborough University
T: 01509 222239, E: H.E. Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk
Notes to editors
Loughborough has an established reputation for excellence in teaching
and research, strong links with industry, and unrivalled sporting achievement.
Assessments of teaching quality by the Quality Assurance Agency place
Loughborough in the top flight of UK universities, and industry highlights
Loughborough in its top five for graduate recruitment. Around 30% of the
University’s income is for research. The University has been awarded
four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes: for its collaboration with aerospace
and automotive companies such as BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls Royce; for
its work in developing countries; for pioneering research in optical engineering;
and for its world-leading role in sports research, education and development.