Children aged 4-7 can legally sit in the front seat, but there are some applicable rules. Photo / Bluey
Children aged 4-7 can legally sit in the front seat, but there are some applicable rules. Photo / Bluey
The latest episode of Blueyhas sparked a huge debate online, with many fans questioning whether the iconic pup’s mum broke the law.
In a scene in the season three finale, many viewers flooded social media with questions on whether the blue heeler’s mum, Chilli, broke a real-life road rule.
The 28-minute episode sees Bluey, her mum and the three younger pups hop into the car to go find Bluey’s godmother.
However, the internet was puzzled when the trio of pups hopped in the back and 7-year-old Bluey sat in the front passenger seat.
Queensland Transport posted a still from the show to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and viewers questioned whether driving with a young child in the passenger seat was legal.
“You know your road rules, and now’s your chance to prove it,” the post read.
You know your road rules, and now’s your chance to prove it.
Chilli has three children in the back seat and seated her seven year old, Bluey, in the front seat. Can Chilli get fined for this? For real life?#Bluey#TheSign
— Transport and Main Roads Queensland (@TMRQld) April 15, 2024
“Chilli has three children in the back seat and seated her 7-year-old, Bluey, in the front seat. Can Chilli get fined for this?”
One person wrote in the comments, “Perfectly legal”, while another quipped: “Just to clarify, you are asking if a ‘dog’ driving a car can get charged for seatbelt infractions in ‘real life’. I’d be more worried about a dog in charge of a motor vehicle.”
They added: “Kids [aged] 4-7 can only sit in the front seat if all other seats are taken by younger children.”
However, some disagreed, writing: “I do believe that it is illegal to have a child in the front seat.”
In the final episode of the much-loved children’s programme’s third season, Bluey’s mum is seen checking the road rules on her phone before her little one hops into the passenger seat.
“Queensland road rules say that if all seats are taken, a child older than 4 can sit in the front seat. Yep, it’s allowed,” she shares, before checking all of her pups have their seatbelts on.
Later on, Chilli is pulled over by a police officer, but when she shows him the rules, she is proven correct and cleared to resume driving.
Some viewers were unsure about the road rules. Photo / Bluey
According to New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, the law in Aotearoa states: “A child aged 7 or over, but under the age of 15, may be seated in the front seat of a vehicle without an approved suitable child restraint if there is no back seat, or the back seat is already full of other children under 15 years old.
“The child must be restrained using the available safety belt.”
The series’ decision to feature the road safety example was praised online. However, some debated whether Bluey should have been seated in a booster seat for the journey.
It’s not a legal requirement, but it is recommended for added safety that kids are protected in untethered booster seats when in the passenger seat.
“I love that they made sure to show her looking up the rule and ... the officer being educated [regarding] a law he should have known,” one person wrote.
