Baby on Board signs - All you need to know

Baby on board signs can be seeing everywhere on car back windows and they become a rite of passage for many new parents. But what many may not know is its true meaning and how the signs became a global phenomenon.

How it all started – An American successful business case

It all started back in 1984, from the personal experience of a man, Michael Lerner, who had driven his 18 month old nephew home

for the first time. That trip made him accounting for the busy traffic with motorists tailgating and cutting him off throughout the road. Suddenly, he realized how much important is to keep children safe during car trips. “For the first time, I felt like a parent feels when they have a kid in the car,” he said in an interview.

Michael, who was a former real estate investor from Massachusetts at that time, saw a potential business opportunity in safety signs for car windows and immediately signs a licensing deal with sisters Patricia and Helen Bradley, owners of a similar version of safety signs in Europe having limited success with marketing in the United States market.

The first “Baby on board” sign was produced in 1984 by the newly established company Safety 1st and sold 10,000 signs within the first month. After nine months, the company sold about 500,000 signs a month.

Baby on board signs – The real meaning

As we see on our daily commutes, millions of parents have purchased the sign over the years worldwide, but what is the actual meaning to apply them on yours’ car back window?

For many parents, when talking about Baby on Board stickers, they said they are a funny shout out that there's their Cheeky Monkey or Baby Rider in the car enjoying a nap during the trip. Anyway, according to Safety 1st the original idea behind the “Baby on board” sign was to “encourage drivers to use caution when approaching cars with younger passengers”. A spokesperson for NSW Police also confirmed “these signs are a notice to other drivers to be carefully approaching that car”.

We now know what’s the original reason behind the Baby on Board sign as advertisement to other drivers to keep distance, drive carefully and not being aggressive approaching your car. Although, even if they serves for a serious purpose, there is no Baby on Board sign law governing the use and application and they are not considered an “official” sign.

baby on board stickers sleeping koala

Baby on board– How to Apply

As said above, there isn’t any formal discipline or rule governing the application of Baby on Board signs to your back window. Neither, there is any specification about the type of signs you should apply, you can choose whatever style, designs, sentence you prefer.

Anyway, there are some general good sense rules you can follow to ensure driver as well as your kid safety as top priority:

1. Don’t choose a sign that’s too big

2. Place the sign in a spot that does not obscure your vision

3. Ensure that your car is in safe driving condition by following your vehicle’s recommended service schedule.

4. Make sure your child is buckled up. Choose the right car chair for your child’s size and age

5. Remain focused on the road at all times.

Baby on board – Get shopping!

You know, there are so many different Baby on Board signs out there. Many of them are quite amusing, showing allegiance to sports teams, organizations or gender-specific variations, while others could be quite annoying or standardized. Following you can find a selection of the best Baby on Board signs you can purchase directly from Redbubble shop.

Baby Sleeping Koala signs is a must have for sleeping babies on board.

baby on board stickers sleeping koala

Baby Rider on Board sign goes to little explorer loving to discover new places on top of their incredible balance bikes.