Nearly two million drivers in the UK have had accidents due to ‘Baby On Board’ signs and children’s toys that obscure their view, according to alarming new research.
One in 20 motorists says stickers and playtime paraphernalia are to blame for a collision - equivalent to 1.85 million of Britain’s 37 million drivers.
The revelation triggered a warning by road safety charity Brake to cut down on clutter in the car.
Deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said ‘Baby On Board’ signs are useful in alerting the emergency services that a child may be involved in the event of a crash.
‘This help can become a hindrance if drivers display signs when their child isn’t in the vehicle,’ she said.
‘Worse still is the danger that can be posed by drivers obscuring their view by cluttering up windows with lots of signs.
‘Drivers’ priority should always be getting there safely without putting themselves, young passengers or other road users at risk.’
A OnePoll survey commissioned by price comparison website Confused.com found that 37 per cent of parents have displayed signs and four out of five of them believe they improve safety.
But 46 per cent admit doing so at all times - regardless of whether or not their child is in the car - and 15 per cent confess they only have them for their novelty value.
The poll of 2,000 drivers also found that 46 percent of drivers regard them as a hazard and 33 percent say they are tacky.
‘There are benefits and dangers to “Baby on Board” signs. They can offer useful information for paramedics in the case of a crash but having too many novelty items displayed could be a safety issue,’ said a Confused.com spokesman.