Hundreds of Bluey fans questioned whether Heeler pup’s mother, Chilli, violated a traffic rule in the season three finale.
In the special 28-minute episode of the animated children’s show, which reached 2.28 million viewers in Australia, Chilli and the four pups take a car ride to meet Bluey’s godmother, Frisky.
The four youngest children were placed in car seats in the back, while seven-year-old Bluey sat in the front.
Queensland Police shared an image on Facebook to test Australians’ knowledge of whether it is legal to drive with a small child in the front passenger seat.
“You know your rules of the road and now you have the chance to prove it,” the post said.
Bluey’s fans wondered if Mama Chilli broke the law by making Bluey sit in the front seat. Under Queensland law, children aged four to seven can only sit in the front seat if all other seats are occupied by children under seven.
‘Chilli has three children in the back seat and sat her seven-year-old son, Bluey, in the front seat. Can Chilli be fined for this? For real life?
In the episode before Bluey jumps into the front seat, Chilli looks up the law on her phone and reads it out loud. She also makes sure all the children are wearing their seat belts.
And luckily she proved it because a police officer stopped her thinking she had broken a rule.
According queensland lawChildren from four to seven years old can only sit in the front seat if all other seats are occupied by children under seven years old.
Babies and children up to four years old should not sit in the front seat.
If a vehicle only has one row of seats, children of any age can sit in the front seat as long as they are properly restrained.
Despite this, Queensland Transport and Main Road Queensland advise that children under 12 should always be safer in the back seat.
In the episode before Bluey jumps into the front seat, Chilli looks up the law on her phone and reads it out loud. She also makes sure all the children have their seat belts on.
“The type of child restraint you install will depend primarily on the age of the child, but you may also need to consider their size,” the Queensland government website states.
Viewers praised the decision to include and outline a law, but some debated whether Bluey should have been in a booster seat.
Legally a booster seat was not required, but for safety he should be in an untethered booster seat in the front seat.
‘I love that they made sure to show her looking up the rule and showing the officer being educated on a law he should have known. “Chilli wasn’t very comfortable with it, but because of these unique circumstances it had to be done,” one fan wrote on Facebook.
‘It’s legally allowed, but it’s a far cry from best security practices. “Children should sit in the back until they are at least 12 years old,” said another.
‘What a great way to start a conversation about road rules! Good job,” added a third.
Someone else tagged a friend and said: ‘Teaching road rules with Bluey genius.’
‘Love Bluey, you really provide us with useful information. “This is what I’ll let my kids watch, not some stupid, pointless cartoons,” wrote one more.