A post on social media has sparked a fierce discussion about what 'baby on board' signs and stickers are really meant for. These familiar signs are regularly spotted in the rear windows of cars and vehicles across Britain and beyond, yet opinions vary widely on their actual purpose.
Some believe they're designed to encourage other drivers to take extra care, while others hold alternative interpretations. The mystery was even lampooned in a 1993 episode of The Simpsons, in which Marge Simpson gives her husband Homer a baby on board sign, saying: "Now people will stop intentionally ramming our car", which inspires him to pen a chart-topping tune for his brief stint in a barbershop quartet.
Now a social media post has reignited the conversation. Posting on X, previously known as Twitter, one user, @BonkDaCarnivore, wrote: "I used to think these stickers were the dumbest things ever. Like anybody was going to drive more carefully around a car because they had a stupid sticker on it.
"Then my wife informed me 'no you idiot, it's so if you get into a wreck the fire department knows to look for a baby in the wreckage'...and I went ahead and decided maybe they weren't so bad."
However, other X users offered their own interpretations, reports the Express. One commented: "I do drive more carefully when I see that sticker tho. I assume whoever is driving would be also checking on the baby so they might be distracted."
Another commented: "As a firefighter I've never looked for a window sign or sticker. A car seat, stuffed animal, or toys at a crash scene is a triggering sign more than anything for us."
Someone else remarked: "My husband is a paramedic. I asked him if they look for these in an accident, he said 'no'."
Others voiced worries about the concept. One observed: "That was the original purpose, and why they used to be on suction cups instead of stickers, so it could be removed when the baby wasn't on board. So many departments wasted time looking for babies that weren't there to the detriment of other passengers that they now ignore them."
Another pointed out: "These stickers are pasted on the car. Even when the car owner goes out somewhere without the baby the sticker remains. Now if the car owner is severely injured in an accident, will emergency services spend precious minutes searching for a baby they can't find in the wreckage?"
A different user suggested: "It's better to put one up - people will slow down a bit because there's a baby in the car."
Motoring and safety specialists have stepped in to clarify matters. Road Safety GB explained: "The stickers are designed to alert the emergency services that a baby or small child is in the car in the event of a collision, and to encourage other drivers to be more careful around them."
However, paramedic Paul Maxwell told qz.com: "I've never heard that theory before. I surveyed my crew and everyone thinks it's to warn people to be extra cautious driving behind so as to not crash into them."
Nikki Jurcutz, a former paramedic and co-founder of Australian first aid training programme Tiny Hearts Education, posted on Instagram: "Do paramedics look for 'Baby on Board' signs? It's a common sight, right? But are they a must for parents?
"I get asked a lot about these signs and whether or not they are important for parents to have on their cars. You might have heard that you NEED a 'Babe on Board' sign on your car in case of an accident so that paramedics know to look for your child.
"This is a myth! During my time as a paramedic, I was trained to assess the whole situation.
"Paramedics aren't just relying on a baby on board sign, they are looking for clues that a child may have been in the vehicle, like car seats, and baby bags. Paramedics will thoroughly check all parts of the car and around the area too. The paramedics on the scene will be there assessing the full picture with or without the baby on board sign on the car."
As per qz.com, the signs were first invented in 1984 by Massachusetts resident Michael Lerner after he had driven his 18-month-old nephew home. "People were tailgating me and cutting me off," he said. "For the first time, I felt like a parent feels when they have a kid in the car."