Wales’s beloved princess Princess Diana lost her life in a tragic car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was in a car with boyfriend Dodi Faid, her driver Henry Paul and her bodyguard, Trevor Rece-Jones. Jones, who suffered serious injuries, were the only survivors of car accidents. Investigations later revealed that no people of the car wore seatbelt at the time of the accident. Experts speculated that they were provoked, their chances of survival would have been around 80%. This is a surprise why Princess Diana and other accidents were not wearing their seat belts.
Michael Chandler, a British security expert, recently highlighted why the British royal family does not wear seatbelt including Rajkumar William, Kate Middleton.
Safety concerns
According to Chandler, Royals are one of the primary reasons that do not always wear seatbelts. Conservation officers should consider the speed on which they can remove the royal from a vehicle in an emergency.
“As you can imagine, worry about removing a principal as soon as possible from a vehicle,” Chandler said.
“It is likely to have a risk-based approach,” he said. “There will be a risk evaluation, the result of which will determine whether additional precautions are required or not.”
Rest
Apart from safety, comfort and presentation also play an important role. Royals often participate in high-profile events that require them to wear military uniform or formal dress. Sitbelts can nap clothing, which can affect the innocent royal appearance required for public engagement or photographs.
“If they are inside and outside a vehicle, the royals would be less keen on fit their seatbelt every time,” Chandler explained. “With men, for example, a seatbelt shirt can crease and hence it can also be a factor.”
Legal discount
While a normal person needs to wear a seatbelt, the royal family is unlikely to face legal consequences for not doing so. For example, King Charles, due to an old law, is immune to prosecution due to an old law for the rights of 1689 bills.
For other roles, the law avoids the enforcement security protocol. Chandler said that security decisions made by conservation officers are unlikely to challenge by other members of law enforcement.
Additionally, a discount in the 1993 UK Road Traffic Act allows emergency services, including diplomatic protection units, which are part of the metropolitan police to decide whether the use of seatbelt is necessary for security purposes.
Do Royals ever wear seatbelt?
Despite the images of Royals riding without seatbels, Chandler said that they really wear them more often, which people believe. “They actually wear seatbelt, perhaps much more than people feel,” he said. “On occasions where they are traveling relatively quickly through London or motorway, they will definitely wear a seatbelt.”
