You must have thought about the legality of riding at the back of pick up trucks. Some people will tell you it is illegal, while others will encourage you to do it. Should you do it? The cause of this confusion is that US states have various laws regarding riding at the back of a pick up truck, and some states have no laws regulating it.
Take the example of Texas, where it is legal to ride in the back of a pick-up truck only if you are 18 years and above and seated on the bed floor but not on the sides. At the same time, other states like Alabama do not have any restrictions regarding riding in the back of a pick-up truck. Some states, on the other hand, have banned it.
Why You Shouldn’t Be Riding At The Back Of Pick up Truck
While it is fully legal and partially legal in some states, it is risky to be riding at the back of pick up trucks. The bed of pick-up trucks is specifically for goods but not passengers. No safety measures are attached to riding in the back of a pick-up truck.
Many passengers die yearly due to riding in the back of a pick-up. When sitting at the back of a pick-up, you will be subject to shocks even from rough road surfaces. The higher exposure to shock is because there are no seat belts or other things to hold the passengers in place.
In case of a pick-up truck accident, the force from it is adequate to rip apart, dislocate, and even decapitate a grown-up adult. The passengers at the back will fly in the air, drag, and crash with a third on the ground. You will have minimal chances of surviving if you fly, drag, and crash.
If another vehicle crashes on your truck from behind, it can get stuck in the back of your pick-up. If it happens, the passengers or anything not secured will launch in front of the truck. If the truck rolls due to the hit, the force will throw the passenger from the pick-up bed and crash under it.
Apart from accidents, emergency brakes, sharp turns, or hitting bumps is just adequate to suspend the passengers in the back in the air. When you fly while the pick-up truck is in motion, you will likely not land on the pick-up bed. Instead, you will crash.
Conclusion
Riding in the pick-up truck’s bed is fun and a good experience, but in case of an accident, it is either perishing or surviving with a permanent injury. For this reason, some states have strict laws about pick-up truck bed riding.
It is unsafe to be riding at the back of pick up trucks. In case of an accident, you will have minimal chances of surviving, but if you stay, there are higher chances of you undergoing lifetime suffering. The high level of risk attached to it is the main reason some states do not allow passengers in the bed of the pick-up truck.