Q : Is it illegal for people to ride in the box of a pickup truck? It would seem strange they could when a person in a car must have a seat belt. A: Believe it or not, as of this writing there is still not a state law in Minnesota that specifically prohibits passengers from riding in the box of a pickup truck. Unfortunately, we continue to encounter motorists on our roadways that transport the people that matter the most to them in the box area of a pickup truck because it is not illegal. I am quick to point out that in Minnesota “safe” and “legal” are not always synonymous. I am still waiting for someone to explain to me what is safe about an 11-year old child riding without a seatbelt in the back seat of a motor vehicle, although in most cases doing so in Minnesota is legal (but never safe). Irrespective of the law, Transporting passengers in the box area of a pickup truck is dangerous. It is much safer to ride in the cab properly restrained – passengers can easily be thrown or fall out of the back of an uncovered pickup truck. We know that ejected passengers are much more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash. A passenger riding in the box area of a covered pickup truck is also at significant risk. Pickup truck box covers provide little to no protection in the event of a crash, and can also present a carbon monoxide hazard to those who ride in the box area of a covered pickup truck. People are not cargo. People deserve better. People always deserve to be properly restrained when riding in motor vehicles.
