Riding unrestrained in the open bed of a moving pickup truck proved fatal last July for two men, 19 and 20, who were ejected when that truck slammed into the rear of another vehicle in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Trucks provide no protection in a crash to passengers riding in their beds, said the website of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which works to make roads and vehicles safer.
“Depending on where you live, people in the backs of pickup trucks might be a common sight,” said thezebra.com, a website that helps people compare insurance policies. “However, whether due to occupation, necessity or a casual ride, the practice poses significant safety risks.”
A lack of restraints and secured seating, combined with exposure to environmental hazards and risk during vehicle maneuvers, leaves passengers in truck beds vulnerable, that site said.
A young girl blows bubbles from the bed of a 1956 Ford pickup truck during a Sept. 6 parade in downtown Abilene, Texas. The state of Kansas bans riding in pickup beds under most circumstances for youngsters under 14 but allows it during officially authorized parades.
What does Kansas law say about riding in the back of pickups?
Kansas statute 8-1578(a) — passed in 1992 — consequently bans riding in pickup beds on many public roads for anyone under 14 except in certain, specific situations.
That statute allows people to ride in truck beds if they are 14 or older.
However, it bans people 14 and older from allowing children under 14 to ride in beds of moving trucks on most public roads.
When does the law not apply?
The state law involved does not apply on private property, leaving youngsters under 14 free to ride in pickup beds through private farm fields.
The law specifies that its provisions apply “only when a vehicle is being operated within the corporate limits of a city or on the state highway system.”
The law’s wording adds that it does not apply to:
“An employee under the age of 14 years engaged in the necessary discharge of the employee’s duty within truck bodies in space intended for merchandise or cargo.”
Or “when the vehicle is being operated in parades, caravans or exhibitions which are officially authorized or otherwise permitted by law.”
What does the law say in other states?
Eighteen states have no state laws at all regarding riding in beds of pickup trucks, thezebra.com said earlier this year.
“Only three states (Arkansas, California and New Jersey) and the District of Columbia mostly outlaw the practice with few exceptions,” that site said.
It added: “The remaining states all have something to say about it, but they put different restrictions on it. In many cases, it depends on the age of the passenger or how fast the vehicle is going.”
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Here’s what Kansas law says about the legality of riding in truck beds