Do baby on board signs help emergency services, interested to hear from actual emergencyservices?

[Dinodigs]

I was recently talking to someone about baby on board signs and came across two different view points and wondered what the actual truth is and if they treat cars with stickers differently.

Friend one was saying the usual things about how they help emergency services know to look for a baby, which is what I've heard before

Friend two mentioned her police officer dad had told her to consider not getting one because he actually views them as more of a risk (in terms of people targeting vulnerability when cars parked, by your house etc) especially the stick figure family kind.

He also said that it doesnt make a difference to responses as they scan the whole car anyway (they wouldnt just not check the back properly, because there wasn't a sticker), that they would notice car seats, that 70% of the time cars with the sticker have no baby in them so they take them with a pinch of salt. Police officer dad said that it was more designed for times where babies were in arms, and that modern car seats are pretty immovable and bulky enough that they wouldnt slip under seats like a loose baby used to be able to.

I wondered what the actual truth is? Everyone seems to think it doesn't make a difference but to have one just incase

I know that I was once advised that the warning sleeves for car seats (eg non verbal, combative child) are better than stickers because they get crumpled on glass in accidents

Its also true that when mine were little that I had a sticker in my car, dad's car and actually grandparents bought themselves a sticker. 90% of our driving was work driving with no baby in the car, but no body took them down

I am quite interested to hear from the people who love "bad drivers who drive too close to the cars in front" enough for you to point out that you are against it😆

I don't think that sort of logic works on the people who buy these signs.

Mores the better for the manufacturers.

They’re a very good indicator that the car is likely to be driven appallingly. They must come from the same cereal packet as the driver’s license.

They’re pointless because it’s fairly obvious the emergency services would check the whole of the vehicle anyway. It’s not like they’ll say “well, that’s that” and clear off because there’s no sign.

Indeed. They have replaced those "earthing strips" that used to be an indicator of trouble in front.

This ^

I cannot believe that people seriously think the emergency services myth is true. Imagine if a car was on fire and emergency services saying “it’s ok we don’t need to check the back seats for a baby, there is no baby on board sign in the back window”

maybe in England. Not true everywhere

I cannot believe that people seriously think the emergency services myth is true.

Conversely I can 😀

Have you met people ?

If I got riled up by a car sign, I’d consider whether I had a good temperament for driving and come to the conclusion that I haven’t.

I always thought they were for people who were showing off that they’d had a baby 😜🤣😆

And like has been said if the car is on fire and crushed not sure how obvious a sign would be anyway! Not sure case of nothing else survives but the sign!

Exactly. I’d like other drivers to be careful at all times please!

Boy racers and road rage idiots regularly risk their own lives and those of their closest friends. I don’t think they are going to slow down because your yellow sign suddenly gives them an amazing new perspective on safety !

Is there one that says “Angry Mumsnettter on board”, as a warning to middle lane hoggers that they will be ranted about on AIBU?

It is! It’s just another baby item they used flog in Mothercare, not sure where they are now, Halfords presumably?

And reduce visibility through the rear window. Pointless crap.

There will be when they've sold MN 😎

My job is driving, so I love it. When the kids were young I never had one. It’s like asking for help because you’ve got kids. Didn’t need that help, so certainly didn’t need a crap naff sticker.

Drive your best, kids or no kids.

On a more sinister note it marks out cars as being used to carry children and thus more likely to belong to a woman. Something the police might have pointed out in their regular efforts to protect women.

Apart from Police Scotland who couldn't find two people in a car accident for days. They survived the accident but succumbed before found.

"I care so little for my dcs that I put them in the crumple zone. Insured by Mummies Second Home Fund".

Where are the stats that say even one baby was missed by emergency services because there was no alert sticker?

It's another case of an "invention" to solve a problem than simply doesn't exist.

They pointless and tacky. Of course emergency services don’t pay any attention to them.

If that’s true then what you’ve done is called using an exception to try to prove a rule.

I've got them on our car - feel better about having them on. I've always paid attention to people in cars who have them - maybe kept my distance on the road a bit more, or be more aware of parking near cars that have those signs in (I'd give them more room / park elsewhere as it's not always possible to find parent & baby spaces). I'd like to think others may think the same thing when they see mine but I wouldn't care of people thought they were naff, pointless or cute - it's not hurting anyone and costs like £2!