“Hello, I have been wondering if it is legal for someone to ride in the bedWhat say ye, readers of the Chief’s Corner?
of a truck? I want to have the actual explanation of the law.
Thank You very much”
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Crowdsourced answer
Have you ever heard of crowdsourcing? I thought it might be interesting to try that out, so here’s the question posed by Tyler in an email I received this morning:
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31 comments:
I believe in Nebraska you can ride in the bed of a truck if you are age 18 and over or in a parade.
Other states have different laws concerning this.
While commonsense would dictate to never ride in the bed of a truck, it isn't necessarily illegal.
Hope I'm right on this one.
Without doing any research, I'd say yes, and no. The law, at least as it used to be, does not allow any part of your body to "protrude from the vehicle". In the old days, before electric turn signals, this apparently did not apply to the driver using his arm to signal a turn or stop. In the case of a pickup truck, if the rider were lying down, or crouched low so as not to protrude above the pickup box, they "may" legally ride in the bed. There may be new laws in this regard now, though. Regardless of the law, it is still done very frequently. I saw a garbage truck driving down the road the other day with one of the workers hanging from the open back of the truck by his fat belly.
Whether there is a law or not, it is not a good idea to ride in the bed of a pick up truck.
My understanding is you have to be 18 years old or older to ride in the back of a pickup truck and also be in a seat with a seatbelt.
Looks like passengers over 18 and people in parades do not need to be restrained. So I would guess that means those people can ride in the bed of a truck.
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,270
No
I recall having a friend (and three friends) receive a ticket for having the four of them in the back. It was a two part ticket. One for being in the back of the truck and not restrained by a seat belt.
The Deputy said something along the lines of there being an exception if they were traveling between fields while doing farm work.
Bases only on that information, my guess is no, an individual can not ride in the back without being seated and belted in.
Wouldn't the ordinance regarding riding on the outside of a vehicle cover that?
Also a seat belt violation.
I always assumed that since you aren't properly restrained in the bed of a truck (Subaru Brats with aftermarket belts excepted), that it isn't a legal passenger area, at least off of private property.
On a related note, LPD responded to an incident where a woman fell out of the bed of a truck recently, didn't they, maybe even yesterday?
Chief-I'll be interested to see the crowd reaction. Put me down as "unsafe in most circumstances"
256
I thought a couple years ago a bill was passed prohibiting persons under 16 or 18 years of age from riding in the bed of a truck unless there were seats for them to sit in, think Subaru brat. But for the life of me I can not find the statute. I do not have my state statute cheat sheet with me.
Maybe someone else remembers.
Car 54
Federal Law Points out: Federal standards require that occupant compartments of vehicles be designed to protect occupants during a crash. The beds of pickup trucks are designed to carry cargo, not people, and are not designed to provide protection in a crash. In addition, children and adults can be easily ejected from cargo areas at relatively low speeds as a result of a sharp turn to avoid an obstacle or crash.
State Law-Who is not covered: people age 18 or older; parades
I can also attest to riding in/on the back of a two seat Corvette Convertible in Holmes Park will get you a "Clinging onto a vehicle" ticket :( I was 15 going from one ball diamond to the other and did end up getting it dismissed. As the Chief says, "Lesson Learned."
Oh man, I hope so! The Subaru Brat was the ugliest thing ever built!!!
Legally riding in the back of a pickup? Historically in the rural United States, as well as the not so rural areas, riding in the back of a pickup was an accepted practice. With the advent of the States and Federal Governments pushing for more highway safety to reduce motor vehicle death tolls, laws have been put in place to restrict passengers from traveling in or on vehicles without safety restraints….i.e. seatbelts. So with those laws in place, it’s my understanding that unless the pickup is equipped with a seat and seatbelt for each passenger it would be illegal for person to ride in the back of a pickup. So it’s my understanding that riding in the back of a pickup in Nebraska is illegal. On a side note, the last vehicle that remotely resembled a pickup that had seats and restraints for passengers in the bed was the Subaru Brat.
Here is the City ordinance: 10.14.370 Riding on Outside of Vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, or for the operator of any motor vehicle to permit any person to ride, in or on any portion of a motor vehicle not constructed or designed to carry passengers, including, but not limited to, the running board, hood, top, trunk, fenders, doors, top of the seat-back, or truck bed.
"The Subaru Brat was the ugliest thing ever built!"
That dubious honor goes to the Citroen 2CV.
Since we are doing crowd-sourcing I have a question....I need a six letter word that begins with A and ends with G.
9:17-
Correct. Lincoln Municipal Ordinance rules on this issue, and it's illegal in our City, regardless of age.
There's your answer, Tyler.
That's city ordinance, what about state law? Seat belts only have to be worn in the front seat area except for child seats.
Chief-In some areas where I travel, I believe it is not only legal, but in fact fashionable to take the couch off your front porch and put it in the back of your truck for extra seating for those short trips to the racetrack or liquor store.
Just an observation. Not an endorsement.
256
Chief, if I may ask, why did you link to an image of knives when talking about seat belts? I'm confused :(
Some cities even go as far as to ban animals ie. dogs in the bed of a pick up.
Wyoming had a campaign about 20 years ago to try to outlaw kids riding in open pickup beds. They titled it "They're children, not cargo." To my knowledge that campaign failed as apparently Wyoming parents felt it was their right to allow their children to ride in such an unsafe manner. Perhaps this has changed.
Kudos to our city for attempting to control abject parental stupidity. Let the flames about the nanny state begin. We would not have to have a "nanny state" if people would just use common sense.
12:46-
Not quite. Adults, seatbelt required in front seat only. Kids under 18, seatbelt required whether front or rear. Kids under 6, child safety seat mandatory.
2:47-
I have no clue how that hyperlink got hosed up, but I appreciate you letting me know so I could fix it!
256-
Isn't that the same State where you have to move a transmission in order to take a bath? (with credit to Jeff Foxworthy, I think).
Our family has to move stacks of old news papers, never know, they might be worth something someday.
Chief,
I posed this same questions years ago to #316 and here is his response:
10.14.370 Riding on Outside of Vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, or for the operator of any motor vehicle to permit any person to ride, in or on any portion of a motor vehicle not constructed or designed to carry passengers, including, but not limited to, the running board, hood, top, trunk, fenders, doors, top of the seat-back, or truck bed. (Ord. 16419 §1; July 19, 1993: Ord. 15634 §37; July 9, 1990:
P.C. §10.32.280: Ord. 5699
§727, as amended by Ord. 7312; October 10, 1960).
Nuf, said.
The question still remains. If you are over 18, is it against State law to ride in the back of a pick-up?
12:46
Is there a law against beatin' the tar out of someone who doesn't have the decency to stop short of an intersection when there is not room in front of them to clear it, so people trying to cross from a stop sign have half a chance? Yes, I suppose there is. Dang laws!
Blizzard, traffic backed up on 40th from Randolph to O, nowhere for the southbound traffic to go anyway, and they consistently block the intersection at J so east and west bound traffic on J are also stuck.
Inconsiderate idiots! Even though you can't beat the tar out of 'em, I bet what they're doing is still against the law.
12:46-
Sorry, I thought it was clear. Illegal in City of Lincoln regardless of age. Illegal in State of Nebraska if under 18. I can't speak for other cities--it would depend on their specific ordinances.
"Is there a law against beatin' the tar out of someone who doesn't have the decency to stop short of an intersection when there is not room in front of them to clear it, so people trying to cross from a stop sign have half a chance? Yes, I suppose there is. Dang laws!
"
You sound like a borderline road-rager.
"...Illegal in City of Lincoln regardless of age. Illegal in State of Nebraska if under 18..."
Thank Chief. I wish the laws were written like that. I could understand them better.
12:46
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