Real reason royals don't wear seatbelts revealed by security expert
The law doesn't quite apply for them!You may have noticed that when members of the royal family are in cars, they’re rarely seen with seatbelts on.
There’s good reason for this – and it’s not because they just don’t want to wear them. Read on to find out why, and how the king will never get in trouble for it…
Why don’t the royal family wear seatbelts?
You’d think with the security detail that follows their every move, the royals would be urged to put their seatbelts on when in cars.
However, it turns out that it’s actually safer for royals not to wear their seatbelts, according to a security expert.
It’s due to this that fact that the royals won’t get into trouble for not strapping up either.
Security expert Michael Chandler spoke to the Daily Mail recently about the royals’ lack of seatbelt use, explaining it’s due to “security considerations”.
“As you might imagine, there are concerns about extracting a principal from a vehicle as quickly as possible. It’s likely there’s a risk-based approach. There’ll be a risk assessment, the outcome of which will determine whether or not there needs to be extra precautions,” he said.
Royal family avoid seatbelts for security and… comfort?
Chandler then went on to explain that the lack of seatbelts is also a comfort thing too for the royals. This is especially the case when they’re in military garb.
“If they’re in and out of a vehicle, royals will be less inclined to fit their seatbelt every time. With men, for example, a seatbelt can crease shirts and so that might also be a factor,” he then said.
However, Chandler pointed out that royals are often photographed in the back of cars without seatbelts on as they approach their destinations.
He explained that the royals likely aren’t not wearing seatbelts the whole way – they just go without them for the final stretch of their journey.
“They do actually wear seatbelts, probably much more than people realize. On those occasions where they’re traveling relatively quickly through London or on motorways, they will certainly wear seatbelts,” he then said.
Can the royals get in trouble for not wearing seatbelts?
If you’re caught not wearing a seatbelt, you could be fined up to £500 under UK law.
However, this punishment likely wouldn’t ever affect the royals.
Under a very old piece of legislation, the king is actually above the law. The king has sovereignty immunity, meaning he can commit a crime – including not wearing a seatbelt – and not get into any legal trouble for it.
Whilst other royals don’t have that level of free-will, they are unlikely to get into trouble for not wearing a seatbelt. This is due to risk assessment, according to Chandler.
Security decisions made by protection officers are unlikely to be challenged by police, he explained.
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