Baby on board stickers 'cause 1 in 20 accidents'

The stickers are being criticised as a distraction, and for obscuring a driver’s vision through the car’s rear window.

The survey claims 46% of parents displayed the stickers, irrespective of whether their child was in the car or not, and this has led to calls for drivers to use the signs with discretion.

Of the drivers polled 15% said they had the stickers for their novelty value, while 46% regarded them as a hazard.

The findings have prompted a warning by road safety charity Brake to cut down on clutter in the car.

“‘Baby On Board’ signs are useful in alerting the emergency services that a child may be involved in the event of a crash,” said Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake.

“This help can become a hindrance if drivers display signs when their child isn’t in the vehicle,” she said. “Worse still is the danger that can be posed by drivers obscuring their view by cluttering up windows with lots of signs.”

Andrew Howard, the AA’s head of road safety commented on the findings, “Motorists should, of course, put stickers in a windscreen where it doesn’t interfere with your view.”

“The key point to remember is that you are in charge of the car at all times and that your view should not be obscured,” he added.

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