To think this parent was a total hypocrite

[Arabesque]

A car overtook me on a dangerous bend yesterday and then whizzed off down the road at top speed. As it overtook me I could see a 'Baby on Board' sticker on the back window .

Presume it's only their 'baby on board' whose safety we need to show regard for, everyone else's is fair game.

AIBU to think that if you insist on displaying one of these stickers you should bloody show a bit of courtesy and consideration to other road users as well?

[woozlebear]

"I slow down for horses"

I don't mind them as I've always taken it as a sort of general reminder to others to do likewise, like the 'dogs are for life' ones, which I think is helpful. I used to live near stables and saw drivers being really stupid around the horses. A few years ago I saw a group of motorbikes on a narrow lane revving their engines and clustering round an oncoming horse. Horse nearly threw its rider and nearly put its front legs through someone's windscreen. It's the sort of thing I reckon if you've never driven near horses you might not have thought of, although if you're just a selfish idiot it probably won't do any good.

[woozlebear]

I think iv missed something here.. I am planning on using a baby on board sign when my baby gets here. I thought the whole idea was to get the person behind you to not follow ridiculously closely, which obviously increases the risk of them going into the back of you. Isn't that a good idea? Why would that make me a nobber?

Because it implies you think you and your child are more precious and important than other people on the roads. Everyone should drive carefully around everyone else. It implies you think it's ok for someone childless to be followed really closely (or at least not as bad as if they did it to you). Plus no one surely pays any attention to the signs or drives any differently around them, which means really they just look like a pointless fertility stealth boast.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

I don't think they say that the person thinks they are more important, I just think that they serve as a visual reminder to keep the correct distance.

I honestly never knew people felt like this about them! Iv driven with my god daughter in the car and borrowed her parents one and I found that people didn't follow as close as usual, which I found a good thing as it was really nerve racking to have such a precious passenger!

[CheeseOnTop]

I was once informed that 'baby on board' signs are actually to alert the emergency services to look for a baby - if you were unfortunate enough to be in a SEVERE road collision. (could be wrong)

I still am too embarrassed to have one though, and any diversion from baby (little princess etc.) is unforgivable

[Arabesque]

It is a legal requirement to keep a certain distance between you and the car in front. It is wrong to drive up someone's arse regardless of whether there's a baby in the back or not. If someone is rude and inconsiderate enough to do so, a baby on board sticker is not going to make any difference to the self entitled knobs.

[Arabesque]

Re alerting the emergency services; most parents leave the sticker on even if the baby is not in the car so they're a bit meaningless in those situations - and could waste a paramedic's time as they search for this non existent baby instead of looking after the injured passengers.

[Meow75]

Heffalump,

If carrying your GodDaughter was so nerve wracking, how nervous will you be driving your own child?! Almost as dangerous as the speeding nobber described by the OP.

[jojane]

I have never had one but I thought the point was emergency services would know to look for a small baby/ toddler I. The event of a bad crash with a crumpled car ie they might have got wedged under wreckage and not be visible.
So you should only put it up when child IS in the car so fire rescue don't waste time looking for a non exsistent child

Although agree with the princess on board etcetera as being bleughhh although I quite fancy a powered by fairy dust sticker!

[ChunkyPickle]

Emergency services will check anyway - it's not like they'd see a baby seat and but no sticker and move along!

And it never occurred to me that baby on board was to make me hang back - why wouldn't you just have one of those 'if you can read this sign, you're too close' stickers in that case?

They're pointless.

[SparkyTGD]

Cheese think that was the original reason for having them.

But agree that most people leave them in the car all the time, even when baby not 'on board'.

I think the 'I slow down for horses' one is to recommend to other drivers to do the same.

[TheBirdsFellDownToDingADong]

Emergency services apparently actively discourage the use of them.

It's always mentioned on this sort of thread.

Because they fuck with the vision of the driver, and because the ES can waste time looking for a baby that ain't there.

And it's not like they don't bother looking if there's no fecking Tigger sticker blocking the rear window is it?

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

Meow - sorry but that's a load of crap. Just because I found it nerve racking doesn't mean I suddenly turned into a completely incompetent driver. I was just more aware of other drivers on the road and was more concerned about whether they had seen me, were going to pull out on me etc.

[TolliverGroat]

If you want "a visual reminder to keep the correct distance" then get one of these or one of these. The only advantage of BOB signs is that at least they aren't "Princess on Board" signs.

[merrymouse]

I saw a TOGS (terry Wogan old guys and gals I think) car sticker that said "I slow down for no apparent reason".
I thought it was funny.

[spatchcock]

There was a story in the media last year about the signs causing accidents, will see if I can track it down.

[spatchcock]

Here it is.

Interestingly, two 'official' type people (from Brake and the AA) mention the usefulness of the signs in alerting emergency services. However, the story also reports that 46 per cent of drivers don't take them out when the children aren't in the car. They must be a bloody nuisance to emergency personnel at the scene of a crime.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

There was a car in the car park today that had a sticker on its bumper that read 'I'm speeding because I need a poo'.

[ComposHat]

In the event of turning up at a car crash thrFire service will check the drivers seat first(as there is always a driver) then the rear seats and then the front passenger seat, regardless of any wanky stickers you may have.


As an aside front seat passengers often suffer the worst injury as drivers will attempt to swerve and their passengers gets the full force of thr impact.

[merrymouse]

I have to say that when I first saw them I thought they meant "careful, give me a wide birth because I am distracted by a crying baby and/or haven't had much sleep - feel free to give me a little beep if i stop for too long at the next lights!!"

[NicknameIncomplete]

Doesnt having a sticker in your car encourage people to drive closer so that they can read the sticker?

[Meringue33]

I have a BOB sign in my car. Tho it's probably unnecessary as I drive a very mumsy car. I am often tempted to add to it in marker pen "...so get off my fucking tail, arsehole!"

The most annoying thing about driving with an infant is I feel I have to restrain myself from shouting obscenities and making rude gestures at the idiots on the road.

[50shadesofvomit]

I learned to drive quite late in life and when The person who was supervising me had to take over the driving (so L plates still on the back) took over they were surprised how aggressive other drivers were despite the L plates (which surely should be a sign of please give me a wide berth and not get pissed off if I fuck up.

I've heard plenty of people mock "P plates" too so in my opinion any stickers on cars (except P plates, L plates and other necessary ones warning of horses, hazardous materials etc) shouldn't be allowed really.

[OwlinaTree]

those powered by fairy dust stickers make my dh incandescent with rage.

Got him one for Christmas...

[TidyDancer]

Hate hate hate bob stickers.

Total myth about the emergency services, but that's already been explained on the thread so I don't think I need to add to it!

Those wanky signs don't make people slow down or drive at more of a distance or be more careful around you.

They are utterly utterly pointless.