Advice on how to drive safely and comfortably while pregnant has been issued to mothers-to-be by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

The law requires everybody to wear seatbelts. Wearing a seatbelt during pregnancy will not cause any harm to the baby and, if involved in a crash, the risk of injury is reduced by 70 per cent.

To make driving both safe and comfortable, pregnant women are advised to wear the lap strap below the bump, as low down as possible.

The seat of the car can be pushed back, as long as the mirrors on the car are adjusted accordingly, and the driver needs to make sure she can reach the brake and accelerator pedals.

After-market pedal extenders are available to ensure the pedals can be reached and the leading road safety charity advises that being an extra three inches away from the steering wheel can make a big difference in a crash.

President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, supported the advice from IAM, which is committed to helping save lives on the roads.

He added that "pregnant women should use three-point seatbelts above and below the bump, not over it".

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