For Safety’s Safe, Skip Backseat Baby Mirrors

by Courtney Messenbaugh

Many parents use a backseat baby mirror to help them keep an eye on their infant while they’re driving. Before my first child was born, I bought one, too. However, my husband’s fire department pals warned us not to use it. In the event of an accident, they said, the mirror could fly off the headrest, become a projectile and hit either the baby or another passenger. Of course, I promptly took the mirror down.

Although I don’t use a backseat baby mirror, many parents do. Some simply need the visual connection with their infant that these mirrors provide, said Bill Flinchbaugh, aka The Car Seat Guy, a certified car-seat technician. It provides them with a sense of security, he said. Chalk that up under the baby mirror’s pro section, and that’s where the pro list ends.

As for the cons, there are plenty, Bill says.

• Like the firefighters told my hubby, it’s relatively easy for most of these mirrors to come loose, particularly in the event of an accident.
• The mirror becomes a visual distraction to the driver, and we all know that a more focused driving style — not less — is safer.
• It makes night driving a challenge because the mirror becomes a source of background glare when it reflects other vehicles’ headlights.

Of course, if none of these reasons have convinced you to put your baby mirror away, make sure the mirror has straps that wrap tightly around the backseat headrest. You also should place it slightly to the side of your child, so it will fly past him instead of right into him should it come loose in an accident.

If you want to learn more about this and other safety issues, you can visit Bill’s website at www.carseatprogram.com.