A new study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that pregnancy makes a woman driver more likely to be involved in a car crash. Statistics gathered from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, which records visits for Ontario's 13 million residents, showed that pregnant women were 42% more likely to be in a serious car crash. The risk peaked in the fourth month of pregnancy. This means that, according to the study, being pregnant and driving a car is almost as dangerous a condition as drivers who have sleep apnea.

The study noted that the dangers for pregnant women drivers seems to be increased regardless of how rich or poor or old they were, whether their pregnancy was complicated or not, or whether they already had children. They even examined the data to rule out the possibility that pregnant women may simply seek more medical care after car crashes than non-pregnant drivers—and found that this was not the explanation.

This research may put hard statistics to the condition sometimes known as "baby brain", the distracted, foggy neurological state which pregnant women (and those around them) have observed during pregnancy. The researchers suggest that OB doctors regularly remind their patients about road safety as part of normal pre-natal check-ups.

Sometimes pregnant women drivers are involved in auto accidents that are not their fault—or even involved as passengers. This can be an extremely stressful occurrence—and these women should seek medical care immediately after the accident to make sure all is okay with the baby, which assurance will also reduce the stress and worry on mom and the baby during the rest of the pregnancy. Presenting an insurance claim for a car accident that occurred while pregnant also can be very stressful, and challenging. Experienced auto accident attorneys such as Clawson & Clawson LLP are very familiar with both the insurance and medical issues involved in such a claim. While it may be difficult to treat auto injuries that occur while pregnant, conservative treatment is still available during pregnancy. Conservative, and alternative, treatments will help with pain symptoms during the pregnancy and will assist in speedier injury recovery after delivery of the baby. Sorting out the medical issues in order to determine what symptoms and ongoing problems after delivery may be the result of the car accident is not easy. Insurance companies will require expert medical opinions as part of the claim. Clawson & Clawson's Colorado Springs personal injury attorneys urge pregnant women to not close out their claim for a possible auto injury that occurred while they were pregnant without first obtaining a no-cost initial consultation with one of their attorneys.