Motorists have many options when it comes to decals for their cars. One of the most common to see while driving is the “Baby on Board” sticker. People don’t usually deeply consider their meaning, but there has recently been some discussion online regarding their purpose. So, what’s the deal with these signs?
“Baby on Board” stickers actually play an important role
Some parents have “Baby on Board” stickers for safety reasons. First, they’re intended to encourage safer driving. The thought is that neighboring motorists will use more caution once they note the sticker or sign. Of course, the typical placement, the rear of the car, is also important. Regulators require car seats to be in the backseat. While it’s statistically safer, the backseat is obviously closest to where rear-end collisions occur.
This isn’t the only safety reason people use these stickers for their cars. Another is to ensure that emergency personnel know a child is in the vehicle in case of a car accident. This is especially necessary in instances where the crash may have rendered the adults in the vehicle unresponsive.
How did the “Baby on Board” sticker come about?
Though it’s not uncommon to see people with “Baby on Board” stickers, few know where they originated. According to My NRMA, they were first used in 1984 and were invented by a man named Michael Lerner. He got the idea for the decals after driving around with his 18-month-old nephew and noticing a lot of what he considered to be aggressive drivers.
Like many stickers for cars, this one caught on with the public rather quickly. Reports say about 10,000 people bought “Baby on Board” decals within the first month of release. Mental Floss says they were on more than three million vehicles by the following year. Naturally, these signs remain quite popular on vehicles today, despite the advanced safety features many options come with as standard.
Still, it’s unclear how effective they are in encouraging safe driving or alerting medical personnel to the presence of an infant or small child. This is especially true because medical professionals are trained to check the whole vehicle after crashes. However, they surely don’t hurt.
