A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with other moms, Kaity Velez and Jessica Pallay of Well Rounded NY who teamed up with Ford Motor Company to kick-off “License Renew While Driving for Two,” a comprehensive guide for road-ready moms-to-be at WILD restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We even got to test drive the all new 2017 Ford Escape Titanium.
With July being the most popular birth month, many soon-to-be moms are currently in their third trimester. A recent survey by Ford found that 88% of women say they drove their entire pregnancy, with only 7% stopping at the end of their third trimester.
Ford’s, Marija Bogachuk, Driver Distraction Subject Matter Expert (SME) discussed all of the things that may or may not occur driving while pregnant. Ford’s Quality control and features are adjusted based on customer surveys voicing features that they like and are concerned about not just in North America, but on a Global Scale. So, they take a lot of customer opinions into play when designing their vehicles to make them accommodating to moms-to-be and all of their customers.
I was a part of the 88% of moms who drove throughout their entire pregnancy and I did use my vehicle for transpiration up to the day before I gave birth. Some may think that doesn’t seem convenient living in Brooklyn, NY., but for me, it was. It allowed me to be in the comfort of my own space, not have to worry about waiting on public transpiration, and then when your bus/train arrives waiting for that kind New Yorker to happily give up their seat (the empathy for a 8.5 month pregnant woman only happened twice by the way).
I worried little about the safety of my unborn child and me because I felt that I was a very safe driver during my pregnancy. Although I was comfortable, I needed to be wary of other drivers who were not wary of the pregnant woman driving next to them and anything that may distract the other driver or me. This group discussion opened my eyes to so many factors that I didn’t think to be aware of during my pregnancy.
My son was born a little over 2 years ago so, Maria had Ford’s Empathy suit for the ladies who wanted to experience being pregnant [again] to try on as we test drove the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium.
I was excited to be one of the first to put Ford’s 2017 Escape on the road, and it was a nice ride. The safety features that I wasn’t consciously aware of, all came back to me once I had on the empathy belly. I even had to adjust the car features to my newly “pregnant baby” bump. The functions of the 2017 Ford Escape Titanium were easy to navigate. I appreciated the safety features such as Lane-keeping and park assist, and rain sensing front wipers that I think are all great accommodations for soon-to-be moms.
Details such as self-adjusting pedals and seats that save your setting allows you to get in and out of your vehicle with ease are great to help moms who are approaching the end of their third trimester. With mommy brain, Ford’s Forward Anti-collision Warning with Brake Support technology uses a radar module to detect how far from a vehicle you are and your speed and activates a visual and audible warning when the system detects a high risk of collision with the vehicle in front.
Overall, this was a great informative event to help currently pregnant moms, and future moms-to-be to learn about car and driver safety during one of the most precious times during a woman’s life. Next pregnancy, I’ll be sure to keep these tips in mind. Test driving the new 2017 Ford Escape was a sweet treat, too!
Did you drive during pregnancy? If so, were you aware of the safety measures to take?
This post was written by Shani P. Mother of 2 year -old Cayden, and the 71ateChef. Visit her website or get social with her on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.