With or without airbags, this position is risky because hitting the steering wheel can cause serious head and chest injuries in crashes. Now it's particularly risky because of the possibility of airbag inflation injuries. Drivers can do several things to reduce the risk. The first is to use a safety belt because most airbag inflation deaths have involved unbelted people. Also, sit as far away from the steering wheel as possible while still reaching the pedals.
Some cars have steering wheels with telescoping adjusters that allow drivers to move the wheel away.
People who sit close to the wheel just to see over it may be able to raise their seats or tilt the wheel down instead of sitting so close. These allow drivers to sit farther away from the steering wheel. And, because seating positions vary from vehicle to vehicle, shorter motorists might factor this in when shopping for a new model. Studies haven't been conducted on airbag effectiveness for pregnant women in crashes, but tests using a dummy designed to represent a shorter female in the third trimester of pregnancy indicate that airbags may provide additional protection to both belted and unbelted drivers. However, late in pregnancy some women may find it impossible to get their abdomens away from the steering wheel.