Prince William draws criticism for letting Prince George ride in front seat — is it legal?
On Wednesday, the royal family descended upon Buckingham Palace for a Christmas luncheon hosted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
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Photographers were on hand to capture the arrival of several family members, including the now disgraced Prince Andrew. However, its Prince William who’s generating the most buzz online. The Duke of Cambridge was seen arriving at the palace behind the wheel of his vehicle with his eldest son Prince George sitting next to him in the front seat.
Royal watchers took to social media to question whether allowing a 6-year-old to sit in the front-passenger seat was not only safe, but legal.
“What was Prince George doing in the front seat of his father’s car arriving at Buckingham Palace today?” one person tweeted. “Too young, should be in the back.”
“Don’t like seeing a child that young in the front seat of the car,” another person commented.
A source revealed Prince George was in a booster seat, as per U.K. car seat laws, which require any child under the age of 12 and shorter than 135 cm tall (4 feet 5 inches) to “use an appropriate child restraint when travelling in the front seat of a car, van or other goods vehicle.”
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The images of the young royal were a surprise for many, given the height, weight and age restrictions in Canada and the United States that prevent children from riding in the front seat.
In Canada, the laws and restrictions for children riding in the front passenger seat are set by each province. According to Transport Canada, most provinces and territories allow children 13 years and older to sit safely in the front seat. Even then, it’s recommended that the seat be moved as far back as possible (while leaving enough room for a rear seating passenger) and have children sit up straight at all times to limit the impact of powerful airbags in the event of an accident.
Transport Canada notes that the safest place for children in a vehicle is always the back seat, regardless of age. A study on child deaths due to car accidents revealed sitting in the back seat reduces the risk of child death in a crash by 27 per cent.
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Princess Charlotte and Prince George however, arrived separately with their mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and were seated in the back seat. Following the luncheon, the Cambridge family left together with all three children in the back seat.
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