to wonder if 'baby on board' signs make any diffference?

[misslinnet]

DH is very keen on us displaying a 'baby on board' sign in our rear window whenever we go out in the car with DS. He believes that drivers behind us will be much more considerate and not tailgate if they see this sign.

I think that most tailgaters don't understand why they're meant to be leaving a sensible stopping distance between them and the car in front, don't understand how their behaviour is potentially dangerous, and therefore I think that if a driver normally goes around tailgating the car in front, he's going to continue doing so whether or not there's a baby on board sign.

AIBU to think that these signs make no difference at all to other driver's behaviour?

It's a little t-shirt like a real t-shirt. That he would of actually fitted in when he was born.

It was from Halfords.

Dead cheesy but I love it.

Well I don't love it. But I like it enough to keep it in our car and be twats.

Do you like nodding dogs and furry dice?

I think the only difference they make is that a lot of people will think a twat is driving.

No I don't have the nodding dogs. I don't drive but I'll pass the message on to DP.. I'm sure he won't think your a twat at all

I think they are the domain of baby bores to be honest

I saw some of those stupid headlamp eyelashes today.

Well I will sleep easier tonight knowing that thanks

futthe that wasn't aimed at you.

Urghh I'm confused

NoOne sorry for your loss :(

My SIL has been known to have many of these signs in her car.
She always had 'children on board' as she was a nanny, then when she was pregnant she added 'Mum2Be on board'.
When her DS1 was born she changed 'Mum2Be' to 'new Mum on board' (when I asked her about that one she said that it was because she had had a C-section only 2 weeks earlier, I didn't think she should have been driving but ho hum). She also added 2 'baby on board' signs (one in the back, and one in a side window), and kept the 'children' one as she was still working.
She gave up work, so removed 'children' and 'new mum' at some point.
Then she got pg again, so put 'mum2be' back up, followed by another 'baby' and 'new mum' (I think at this point she changed DC1s to 'child')
She has since had another baby so did as before. She now has 3 in the rear window (one of which blocks the view from the rear view mirror), and one in each side window.
So a total of 5 signs!!!

We had one when DS1 was born, but we got fed up with removing it all the time (and realised we were being a bit PFB) and removed it.
I think my Mum still has one in her car, but it only gets stuck in the window when DS2 wants it there.

My Mum broke down once on the hard shoulder. She got out the car, and sat at the edge waiting for 'rescue'. A police car pulled over to make sure she was OK, and when he saw the child seats asked where the children were. My Mum told him that they weren't with her, hence she had taken the sign out (this was in the days she always put it up) The policeman told her they always ignore the signs, and look for car seats as an indication that there is/was a child on board.

IMO the only signs that are needed would be the one we used to use when we went scuba diving, which said 'compressed air on board' and thats because there is a risk it could explode (I think thats what my Dad said anyway)

So sorry to hear that NoOne

Sorry for your loss NoOne.

I'd like to run a survey to confirm my suspicions that people with these signs also do some or all of the following:

1. Say "we are pregnant"

2.Dress new born boys in replica football strips

1. Confuse bald girls for easter eggs with headbands and ribbony things.
2. Avidly watch Cbeebies and then try and engage otherwise sentient adults in meaningless twaddle about who their favourite character from the Night Garden is.
3. Talk about the latest model of pushchair as it it were a Ferrari. (and as if anyone else might possibly be interested)

Bucharest - No you are wrong. I don't do any of your list of things. And even if I did it's nothing to be looked down on and called a twat

Ah, but you have cats so even a princess-bump-on-board-mummy's-ickle-biddy-teletubby sticker would not, of you, a twat, make.

My husband hates those baby on board signs. He says all human life is valuable, and people need to drive carefully no matter who is in other cars. I don't hate the signs, but agree with him regarding lives.

I do have cats They on the other had are my princess and princes!

Cats are wise. they don't like travelling in cars.

I remember a comedy sketch featuring Alexi Sayle which had a car with a 'bastard on board' sticker on - this character then being a right bastard towards car drivers and pedestrians. I always think of that sticker when I see 'baby on board'!

I love all cheesy car crap. I love furry dice, nodding dogs (although I had a nodding cow) signs, eyelashes, things you put on your aerial. LOVE IT ALL.

So there.

I use one because it scares me how many idiots get to be behind wheels. This thread rather proves that point. What? You feel rage when in charge of a vehicle because of a sticker? Disturbing.

If having a sticker affords my children even a tiny bit more safety then I'll do it. And I do find it makes a difference. Why are you surprised there are idiots who don't put into practice the concept that all human life is valuable? My philosophy on the road is to be prepared for idiots.

I don't like them, I think they're tacky and possibly restrict visibility (certainly in my tiny car I'd struggle to see much out of the rear window if I blocked it up with a sticker).

Surely everyone should drive sensibly no matter what they know about other road users? And as for the ES thing - I can't imagine most people take the signs down when the baby/child is not on board, so it makes no sense. Like people who continue to drive with L plates on even when it's not the learner who's driving, but, as they say, "don't get me started"

Roffling wryly at someone who thinks a sticker is going to stop a bad driver fro being a bad driver calling other people idiots....

How has it made a difference Gentle? Because you haven't ever been rammed? Hardly empirical evidence is it? Neither have I (and we are in Italy where bad driving is in the blood)...but I don't have a sticker......

I can't imagine anyone thinking.

"Hey, I fancied driving close enough I might prang the car in front, but it's got a baby on board sign, so I won't"...

People that do that usually think they're the master of driving and of course they would never hit anything (unless it's the other person't fault).

I was told the original signs you were meant to put any medical information on the back for medical services. I doubt even 0.1% of people do that, and they certainly don't take the sign down when baby isn't in the car, so it wouldn't be looked at by medical services would it?

The sign my ddad used to like was "If you can read this notice, you're too close to my car." He'd sped up to try and read it.

If having a sticker affords my children even a tiny bit more safety then I'll do it. And I do find it makes a difference

It certainly will - read the thread :)

Doubt it makes a difference to any driving experience though