We’ve all most likely seen signs in the back of a car window reading, ‘Baby on Board,’ or something similar. At first glance, it appears to be sweet and harmless. Proud moms, dads, and grandparents showing off their bundles of joy.
Lots of people also think it can act as a tiny shield on the roads, a way of saying, ‘please don’t tailgate me, I’m tired and fragile,’ or if there’s an accident, emergency services can prioritize that vehicle over another.
However, according to law enforcement, those stickers might be doing more harm than good.
Police have warned that any kind of bumper sticker, including ones announcing a baby, can unintentionally make you a target. The issue isn’t the message itself, but what it tells strangers about you.
Lynn Haven Police Chief Ricky Ramie previously told WJHG that bumper stickers can act as “an advertisement for any burglar or theft suspect”, especially those that reveal interests or lifestyle clues.
For example, a football sticker might suggest you’ll be out at games. A fishing decal could imply expensive gear at home. And when it comes to Baby On Board signs? The message some people take from that is far less wholesome.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department has warned that baby-related stickers may signal that a driver is “likely distracted and an easy target”.
In a Facebook post, the department urged parents to think twice before sticking them on their cars, writing: “We love to show off the things we are proud of, but are you putting your family's safety and security at risk? A consideration next time you go to put that sticker on your car...”
Not everyone is buying it, though. After a video about the warning circulated on Instagram, plenty of parents and drivers rushed to defend the stickers, arguing that they’re misunderstood.
One user insisted: “Those stickers are for emergency services. They let them know that there's a chance that a baby is in the car and they need to check. If someone wanted to do harm to a child, then they would just wait near a school and follow you home!”
Another driver added that the sign actually changes their behaviour on the road: “If a car with this sticker is in front of me I know: The driving parent might be distracted, or tired, or - especially if a new parent (what I can‘t know) is driving slower than other drivers and my reaction is more understanding and more distance to the car in front of me.”
That, after all, was the original intention.
According to The Sun, Safety 1st, the company believed to have created the signs, said their purpose was to “encourage drivers to use caution when approaching cars with younger passengers”.
But over time, the sticker’s meaning has become muddled. Some parents now worry it highlights the presence of valuable items instead.
One person reasoned: “I was told it basically shows that you'll have expensive baby/child items, like toys, prams/strollers, bikes/scooters and some other valuable items.”
On Reddit, the debate went even further, with one concerned parent asking whether the badge could increase the risk of child trafficking.
“The child trafficking thing is a myth!” one commenter responded.
“I personally DO give more space to drivers with a baby on board sticker. Have been doing it for the past 15 years. So I know it does have that effect on some people, despite no one on Reddit admitting it. Same with student driver stickers.”
Others were far less convinced. “Those stickers are pointless. No one drives safer seeing that sticker nor is less annoyed of slow driving because of it. It’s just a weird way of announcing you have a baby in a very public way,” another person wrote.
In the UK, the signs can cause issues with insurance. According to the experts at Zego Insurance, if these signs are positioned incorrectly, they can become a hazard by blocking the driver's view. If this leads to an accident, it could invalidate a payout.