To find Baby on board car signs pointless and rather irritating.

[VickyLouT]

I just don't get it. What purpose do these signs serve? I totally understand why you might wear a baby on board badge on the tube, that has a purpose. But why a car sign? Are other drivers supposed to be behave differently around you "more safely" or perhaps just be forewarned that you may have poor driving or parking as you may be sleep deprived. Aibu to find this pointless signalling irritating? Maybe someone with one of these signs share why?

When we see them in cars at least one person says something like
“Ah. I was going to ram your car. Now I’ve seen the sign, I won’t”

How badly are people securing their car seats if a cheap suction cup is going to be more likely to stay in place than the car seat?

Ugh such a weird thing to get upset about. A lot of people drive dangerously. A lot of people also would feel worse killing a baby than an adult. Reasonably imo but whatever. So maybe someone might notice that sign and - whether consciously or subconsciously - slow down or something... what’s the harm in that?!

I guess I find people who find those signs annoying pointless and rather irritating!

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

How badly are people securing their car seats if a cheap suction cup is going to be more likely to stay in place than the car seat?

Such a good point 🤣🤣

I don't buy the emergency service thing. I mean you take the sign out once they were no longer a baby. You don't get '3 Year old on Board' signs.

If they were that important they would be mandatory.

There's always those terrible stick man family decals on the boot then the emergency services could use that for a head count.

When my mum broke down on the motorway a police car pulled over to check she was OK while she waited for the AA.
They looked in her car and asked if she had children with her as there were 2 empty car seats. She said no and that that was why she'd taken the Baby on Board sign out.
They told her emergency services ignore them, but if there are car seats they would ask other passengers if there were children/look for children if everyone else is unconscious.

My ex SIL used to have 5 BOB signs in her car. 3 across the rear windscreen (1 for each dc) and one in each rear side window. She was a twat though.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

How badly are people securing their car seats if a cheap suction cup is going to be more likely to stay in place than the car seat?

Aforementioned police man had been to more than one accident where the child had been flung out of their seat/managed to climb out after the crash.

I use one. It makes me feel abit better that if some idot is tail gating me obnoxiously close enough that they can read the sign that it is more likely to act as a repellent for them to back the hell off. Lots of peoole drive recklessly. But many people dont want to be the reason why a car accident happens to a baby.

My ex SIL used to have 5 BOB signs in her car. 3 across the rear windscreen (1 for each dc) and one in each rear side window. She was a twat though

could she even see out of the windows? I hate anything that obscures my view, window stickers and masses of stuff dangling from the rear view mirror, hate all of it.
Does anyone remember the Garfields back in the day? Massive stuffed cat with rubber sucker feet in the car window.

Tbf, to a lot of people, children/babies are thought of as innocent and needing protection. A child murderer receives a lot more hatred than someone who murdered an adult. It's seen as more heinous.

So, I always thought the signs were there because if there is some driver who is a bit of a dickhead with their driving, they may be more careful around your car because they value children's lives more.

It's not right, but plenty of people behave in a safer way when children/babies are present.

But the car seat stayed in place IStayed which, as the police pointed out, was their cue to look for children

children/babies are thought of as innocent and needing protection

Should have put more deserving of protection from harm or even simply more deserving of not coming to any harm.

Or course people feel children need protecting.

I hope all these who think it's for emergency services take them down when a child isn't there, of course they do.

I was given one in a maternity pack and was told it was to alert other cars that I'd need space to swing the boot open to get a pram in the back (for street parking) rather than cars parking bumper to bumper.... have no idea how true this is though and whether it is followed. I'd not heard of the emergency services one before

I had an incident when cycling one time where a driver put me in a terrifying position through their own thoughtless driving that I had no control over and genuinely feared for my life for a second....they had a 'baby on board' sticker and I couldn't stop thinking on the way home how little they seemed to care about the safety of others but felt we should all be careful of their baby. I'm someone's child too! I have a family too.
I know it's unfair and it's their shit driving I should focus on but the sticker really wound me up and made me feel even shitter about the whole encounter. The hypocrisy had me seething

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

But the car seat stayed in place IStayed which, as the police pointed out, was their cue to look for children

Oh yes. I see what you mean. Sorry. Need more coffee.

@Lizlou85

I was told to didply the sign so, God forbid if we were in an accident the emergency services would know.

So you take it off every time your child isn't in the car then?

I think they are pretty pointless but can't be bothered to get irritated about them.

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

Usually when this is asked someone will come along and say it's so that if you have an accident the emergency services will know to look for a child

Like they actually think that's what they do

I can't help as I have absolutely no idea what they are for.

Yes, they do.

For instance. in a bad smash, sometimes small children can be catapulted out of the vehicle altogether, and it alerts them to look, just in case.

The personalised ones where we even get to know the name of the baby on board are quite funny. I don't need that level of detail.
Thinking about it though I've only ever seen one sign at a time so you don't buy another one for each subsequent baby. The emergency services won't know how many babies they are looking for really.

I have seen an "old person driving" once. Was a great idea because rather than thinking the driver isn't paying attention driving slowly because they are on the phone, you automatically give the driver more time and space.
Bob I thought were to notify paramedics/fire brigade and potentially search for a child thrown clear of the crash.

I think the firmly affixed car seat is a better clue to the emergency services than a bit of hanging cardboard, and debunking websites seem to agree.

I make a point only to drive into cars which don’t display them, though, so maybe they do serve a purpose other than simply being a handy twit-indicator. See also: personalised number plates.

We didn’t have one but if I thought it might encourage people around us to drive more safely I would have. I hate being in the car with my kid in it precisely because so many drivers are areseholes.

They make me think ‘So what?
Around here they tend to indicate that the car is driven by someone who ignores road signs, parks wherever they want and drives a car completely frosted up on a cold morning.
I avoid them as much as I can.

@KindlyKanga

So if you crash they know to look for a small person

How long should they look for a small person (or a little princess) before they give up and realise that the sign is always in the car?