Everybody has seen the yellow “Baby on Board” signs hanging in the back windows of family vehicles. They’re generally understood to be a request for other drivers to use a little more caution in deference to the fragile young passengers presumably inside.
Research suggests, however, that there may be another reason for everyone on the road to pay attention. Other drivers may be more at risk than they suspect.
Research says a child in a vehicle can increase the odds of serious accidents
A safety study examined fatal crashes involving adult drivers with and without child passengers. Researchers found that adults carrying children age 15 or younger were significantly more likely to cause a fatal crash than adults without children in the vehicle. Depending on the group studied and type of crash, the estimated risk was roughly four to seven times higher.
Why would driving with children increase crash risk? Most parents and caregivers probably become more cautious when children are in the car. They may slow down, buckle up more consistently, avoid drinking and driving and generally take fewer risks.
The problem may be distraction.
Children need things. Babies cry. Toddlers scream when they drop toys. Siblings fight over seat space. Young teens can demand a lot of attention at inopportune moments. A parent who is constantly checking the back seat, reaching back to hand out snacks or pick up toys or who finds themselves arguing with their preteen may not be as focused on the road as they should be. Their mental load may simply be higher, and their attention pulled into too many different directions at once.
The study points to previous research showing that distracting interactions between adults and children frequently occur while vehicles are moving. It also notes that drivers carrying children have been found to experience substantially more distraction than drivers without passengers.
If a distracted driver causes an accident, the fact that the distraction involves caring for a child does not necessarily eliminate liability. People injured in the crash may still have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages.