Can You Learn to Drive While Pregnant?
3 Answers
Pregnant women can obtain a driver's license, but they must bear the risks themselves. Driving schools will not oppose pregnant women practicing driving, but they will recommend waiting until after giving birth to start training. This is because no one can guarantee the safety of the baby during the practice sessions, especially in the early stages of pregnancy when the baby is still unstable. Excessive fatigue from driving practice can also be harmful to the pregnant woman. Relevant recommendations are as follows: 1. Avoid overexertion: Doctors also do not recommend pregnant women to practice driving during the early and late stages of pregnancy, as these are sensitive periods. Overexertion can easily lead to early miscarriage or premature birth. Due to inexperience, pregnant women may frequently brake while driving, which can be stressful. 2. Do not overstress: Pregnant women can easily become tense during driving practice, and prolonged stress is not good for the baby. Therefore, pregnant women should not worry about any negative effects of delaying their driving lessons. It is perfectly fine to wait until after the baby is born to learn. Always prioritize the baby's well-being over obtaining a driver's license. Most people can understand the importance of this balance.
Several of my friends have encountered this situation. Actually, there's no law prohibiting pregnant women from learning to drive—it mainly depends on individual physical conditions. During the first trimester, when the fetus is less stable, sudden braking or bumpy rides during practice may pose risks, so high-intensity training at driving school grounds is better postponed. If the pregnancy is stable in the second trimester, bringing a doctor's note and communicating with the instructor to use a more spacious car with a comfortably adjusted seat for slow practice is manageable. In the last two to three months, a larger belly may interfere with the steering wheel, and seat belts can become uncomfortable—my cousin could barely last five minutes in the car before feeling breathless. If learning is a must, opt for an automatic transmission; the force needed for a manual clutch can strain the belly. It’s best to find a familiar instructor for one-on-one sessions and set the AC to 26°C to avoid catching a chill~
Last year when I accompanied my sister-in-law to the driving school to sign up, I specifically asked about this issue. The staff at the driving school privately mentioned that they are actually reluctant to accept pregnant students. It's not about discrimination, but mainly due to concerns about liability. During the second subject test practice, such as reverse parking and parallel parking, the seat needs to be adjusted back and forth frequently, and the steering wheel requires forceful turning. For the third subject test on the road, sudden situations may require sharp turns, which can easily lead to bumps and collisions even for regular students, let alone pregnant women. The instructor mentioned a case where a pregnant student practicing hill starts pressed the clutch too hard and almost got a cramp. If they really want to learn, they have to sign a liability waiver and obtain a health certificate from a doctor, and the class schedule is also more relaxed compared to others. Actually, it's more convenient to learn after giving birth, as the current three-year validity period for the driving test is sufficient for recovery.
