• I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org
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      2 hours ago

      The original intent with the signs was to let first responders know if there was a baby in the car or not. If you had a baby in the car, you would flip it to “baby on board”, otherwise you flip it to “baby not on board”. Instead it became a way for breeders to signal to the world that they successfully procreated.

      This stems from a 2006 accident in Texas, an infant was ejected from a car seat during a rollover crash. The first responders didn’t find the baby on scene and decided that the car seat must have been empty. A few days later, the baby was found dead near the scene.

      Now the rule is that, if there’s a car seat there’s a baby. If the car seat is empty, you keep looking until you find the baby. The best thing parents can do is out a stuffed animal in the car seat, this let’s first responders know that there isn’t a baby to look for.

      • Gloomy@mander.xyz
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        2 hours ago

        I always understood them as a way to signal to other drivers the reason for driving slow and / or more defensive.