Proud parents generally want to do all they can to protect their child, and they may start to take care in areas they previously did not worry much about.
One step a lot of parents take is to put a “baby on board” sticker on the rear window of their car. Even though they may have been driving the same roads for years without being overly concerned about the chance that someone would crash into them, their newborn puts them on heightened alert for danger.
What those parents might not realize is that they may be aiming their warning at the wrong audience. Rather than telling others to take extra care, they should be telling themselves to.
Babies are a distraction for parents
A baby has needs, just like anyone of any age does. The difference is that they cannot attend to any of those needs themselves. They rely on their parents for literally anything. When they want something, they need to get their parents’ attention.
It won’t matter to them that their parent is driving; they will do what they must to get their attention. That could be gurgling and smiling, or it might be screaming their little lungs out. Either way, they will need to keep trying until their parent finally attends to them. And there lies the problem. If the parent is driving, they are going to have to move their focus off the road and onto their child sooner or later. Even if they have nerves of steel and hold out until they have come to a safe place to stop, they will have been distracted by their child’s attempts to grab their attention.
A moment’s disconcentration may be all it takes to miss something happening around them and cause a crash that puts themselves, their baby and others at risk. Next time you see a “baby on board” sticker, consider giving it a wide berth because there’s a high chance the parent driving will get distracted at some point and possibly endanger you in the process.