Parents alarmed after discovering why 'baby on board' car signs exist

It is common for parents who have recently welcomed a new addition to their family to display a cute 'baby on board' sign on the back window of their car. Many assume that it's either to let others know that they'll be driving more careful than usual, or to encourage other cars around them to be more patient too.

But, that's not the only reason why these signs exist. Parents have been left both baffled and horrified after discovering another reason for their existence.

Motorsport expert based in the North East, @pentagrammotorsport, took to TikTok to question parents if they know the altenrative reason for the sign. He asked: Do you realise how these things are supposed to work?" "Is it there to say 'I've got a baby in the car, therefore I might be a bit distracted'? [...]. That's not actually what this is for."

READ MORE: We made the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate House, it's so much better than gingerbread

READ MORE: Wilko and The Range issue urgent recalls over popular Christmas products

The expert continued: "This is a sign to the emergency services. If they find your car crashed, passed out in the car, or rolled down a bank, this is a sign to say they need to stay at the scene to look and find the baby that was onboard. That's the purpose of this sign."

In fact, leaving it stuck to your rear-view window all the time might actually be a problem - because emergency services might assume you have a child in the car, reports the Mirror.

And it turns out many people had no idea - and some were left horrified. "I always thought it was to warn other drivers to drive safe," said one shocked person. "Just noticed mine is still there and she's almost five," said another.

And some emergency service personnel shared their