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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that "Baby on Board" signs in cars are ridiculous?

85 replies

ktbeau · 13/01/2010 09:38

Why have a Baby on Board sign in your car?

Do people think it creates a protective force field around their cars?

Will other drivers really think "well I was going to crash into you but now I can see you have children, I won't"?

I have heard the argument that they are there in the event of a crash to warn emergency services to look for a child but people don't take the stickers out of their cars when the kids aren't in it, do they?

Isn't the child car seat larger and more conspicuous any way?

Really don't see the point.

OP posts:
GoldenSnitch · 13/01/2010 09:50

This has been done many, many, many times.

RockBird · 13/01/2010 09:54

I know from being a new parent that I wanted everyone to know about my gorgeous baby. So I had a sign which I said was there for safety reasons. Then she got a bit older and I got some sense so I took it down. It's just one of those things. They are just a way of telling the world you've had a baby and they're really not a big deal. They don't do any harm and quite frankly, if they bother you that much then you really ought to think about whether you're concentrating on the road enough.

TootaLaFruit · 13/01/2010 10:10

Get over it. Why are people so annoyed by these signs? It is so passive-aggressive, I just don't understand why somebody would get wound up by these signs. Like GoldenSnitch said, this has been done to death

pooexplosions · 13/01/2010 10:23

Why have anything? cos you bloody want to. Find something more interesting else to worry about.

mummyloveslucy · 13/01/2010 10:35

Most people with children have them. I don't see the problem.
I think the Princess on board ones are a bit naff, especially the ones where the childs name is added.

StrictlyKatty · 13/01/2010 10:39

I hate the pointless, bitchy threads!

I have a sign, I like it. I don't have a tattoo becuase I don't, I like red grapes not green and read historical fiction. People are allowed to like different things you know. It makes no difference to anyone else if you have a baby on board sign.

I really don't see why people start threads simply to be nasty...

andagain · 13/01/2010 10:43

I always thought of it as a bit of a warning to drivers behind me to be a bit more patient as maybe I am driving slower because of a young child who might not like to be in the car/be screaming their head off has just vomitted all over the car/had a stinky poo, etc, so I might be a hassled/distracted driver.

truoddsox · 13/01/2010 10:49

omw if these signs bother you, how do you feel about ones like "mother-to-be on board" or "grandchild on board"??
I actually have 2 in my car - a cute giraffe one that wouldn't stick to the back window so it's on the small side window at the back, and a bilingual one on the back window In fact I've been thinking of getting a "haemophiliac on board" one for ds too!

Irishchic · 13/01/2010 11:11

OP you have little to worry about.

DuelingFanjo · 13/01/2010 11:19

I'm going to have one made saying Barren old cow on board

DuelingFanjo · 13/01/2010 11:23

and OP - I agree with you. I think they are silly. If I have a baby I won't get one. They irritate me and we are all allowed to get irritated so don't worry YANBU to find something irritating. I dislike them as much as I dislike the ones which say 'babe on board' or 'Dad's Taxi'. They are not even amusing.

Saw someone a few months ago driving a car with 'Mum to be on board' now that's bordering on the ridiculous!

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 13/01/2010 11:29

I believe that the original reason for these signs was so that, in the event of an accident, the emergency services knew that there should be a child in the car. This was in the days before compulsory seatbelts/car seats, when a small child could be thrown from a car during an accident, and might land somewhere where they couldn't be seen.

If this is true, then I don't see much point in these signs nowadays.

brimfull · 13/01/2010 11:31

parp

AMumInScotland · 13/01/2010 11:47

The safety side is an urban myth - they were never intended as an alert to the emergency services, just as an "I'm so excited I want to tell the world I have a baby" sign.

Personally, I like to see them in cars, as I mentally translate them as "Sleep-deprived and/or very distracted driver on board" and watch out for them doing something unexpected and stupid.

truoddsox · 13/01/2010 11:53

I like your logic MuminScotland - bang on I'd say! lol.

UpYourViva · 13/01/2010 11:54

Arent they there to kind of warn other drivers to maybe be a little more patient or carefull as you have a child or baby on board? thats what mine is for, dunno if it works but it may prevent some tosser getting too close to my car

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 13/01/2010 11:58

I was sure I'd heard it on something like Watchdog or Nationwide - but then my memory is pretty unreliable at the best of times.

pooexplosions · 13/01/2010 12:11

I should put one in my car "over-wrought mother of three on board" so people will know if they cut me up or otherwise piss me off there is a good chance I will chase them and possibly sever some limbs.

Would be handy for other drivers I imagine?

truoddsox · 13/01/2010 12:40

UpYpurViva that's what I've always thought they were for - if I see a car with one in I tend to keep my distance a bit more, and be prepared for them being more hesitant at junctions/roundabouts rather than just jumping out at speed in front of cars.

Original poster
ktbeau · 13/01/2010 13:43

So sorry to be dull.

I am new to Mumsnet so haven't seen a discussion on this before.

Thanks to all the people who have been nice and genuine and explained their reasoning.

I never thought about the signs being used to warn other drivers that you may be distracted. Guess it makes some sense, maybe

OP posts:
veryconfusedandupset · 13/01/2010 15:10

It is the "on board" bit that really irritates me - if it just said "there is a baby in this car" that would be fine. You used to be able to buy one which said "Baby, I'm bored"

mayorquimby · 13/01/2010 15:52

"I believe that the original reason for these signs was so that, in the event of an accident, the emergency services knew that there should be a child in the car."

Absolute myth. they sprang up as a tacky novelty on the high-ways of America for proud new parents to show off and they caught on everywhere. Nothing to do with safety at all.

Original poster
ktbeau · 13/01/2010 16:09

I'm glad people have admitted using them to "show off" that they are parents cos this is what I secretly suspected!!

OP posts:
Fibilou · 13/01/2010 16:10

As a member of the emergency services I can confidently say we do not require some poxy stupid sign with "baby on board". Things like toys, nappies etc in the car are usually a good giveaway that there may be a child on board.

I loathe the things, they are a distraction to other drivers and if I were responsible for these things I would ban anything extraneous inside cars (including music, sat navs, phones and those stupid dangling things off mirrors) as the majority of accidents are caused by distracted drivers.

As for the sign giving the driver some sort of licence to drive badly, if you can't control your children sufficiently to drive at a competetent level you should not be on the road.

littleducks · 13/01/2010 16:36

I'm sure that the emergency services dont need the sign but they do ask, when my bil totally wrecked his car, going off an elevated section and had to be cut out etc. and stretched off with a broken neck one of the paramedics was very insistant about getting him to tell them if there was a child in the car (thankfully not) as there was a pfb sign.