passengers in bed of pick up truck

Or for dogs?

I do not believe so.

I think there is a new law (proposed) regarding children after a death on STT several months ago.

No, other than they are supposed to be seated on the floor.....BUt you will get a ticket for no seatbelt...

They are working on a new law. Don't know where it is though.

I will admit that when I was a kid it was THE COOLEST THING to ride in the back of the pickup truck - I remember that powder blue Ford, 3 speed on the column like it was yesterday. I mean....my brother and I LOVED IT and begged for the folks to let us ride back there for short trips, long trips, it didn't matter. ok. maybe we were a couple of hillbillies. HA! BUT, today.....when I see humans or animals riding in the back of a pickup truck......it scares me to death. Now I always think about the possibility of what could happen and the terrible potential outcome.

I hate seeing someone slow down and allowing a dozen school children to jump in. Let's see, $10,000 liability will go far...

You can't save everyone. I think the world has gone way, way overboard on overprotection. If people wanna ride in the back of their truck, then let them! People die everyday, it's a fact of life. You run a risk of death everytime you get behind the wheel; does that mean we should abolish driving altogether? It would save lives, would it not?

I for one wish government would stop trying to save us from ourselves.

NugBlazer, The problem is not if you kill yourself. The problem is if you are, for example, paralized for life. Then you become MY problem. Children are another issue IMO. Laws should protect them from adult stupidity.

We rode in the back of trucks, open Jeeps with no tops, doors or seatbelts and my personal fav...sitting on the tailgate of my mother's station wagon, with my legs dangling over the side. Crazy!!!, but we were way out in the country, and Mom was driving about 3 miles per hour and no other traffic. The things I see should be criminal. Just a few days ago, I saw a truck with 6 kids in the back, 3 or which couldn't have been over 3 years old, and nobody was over 10. I was soooooo close to pulling up beside him and saying something, but....mind your own business...kept playing in my head. The fact is, anyone with that mentality, is not going to appreciate, or even understand, my concern for his children.

If adults want to do something really stupid and dangerous, that's bad enough, but hey...they're adults, right??? If there has to be a law to force parents to do their best to protect their kids, then let there be a law!

Remember a while back on STX, there was a newborn baby killed, while his monther was holding him and his father, under the influence of something ran into a tree? Does anyone know if there were ever any charges? That's another one. I see little kids, no way they are 4 years old, standing on the seats and on floorboards, usually it's 3 or 4 kids, or more, in the car, and Mama talking on her cellphone.

Linda, how does someone becoming paralyzed become your problem?

Because I (and all my fellow taxpayers) wind up paying for someone to take care of you for the rest of your life.

Only because the people in this country seem to believe its the governments responsibility to take care of them....People need to take care of themselves....If you have nothing....Or need help....Go to your family....church, local charity, whatever......Not the taxpayer....Its not eh governments (ie the taxpayer's) job...................

Oh, the "taxpayer" argument, eh? You could apply that to just about anything.

By that rationale, you should be against going to the beach. Too much sun and BAM! skin cancer. Don't wanna have to shell out your hard-earned tax dollars to pay for some loser's chemo because they spent too much time at Shoy's, do you?

How about smoking? Lung cancer. Or drinking? Liver issues. Or driving a car? Accidents. Or diving? The bends.

In all those examples, you could end up paying for someome to take care of the victim with your tax money just like with someone riding in the back of a truck. See how slippery of a slope the "taxpayer" argument is, Linda?

Live and let live. If someone wants to ride in the back of a truck, then it's no one's business but theirs. You can not, and should not, try to police everything.

another thing to consider.
Two scenarios;;
First one, you are driving and make a mistake and cause an accident with a car that has everyone belted in. You will pay traffic violation, your insurance will pay for their pain and suffering. Case over.
Second one, you are driving and make a mistake and cause an accident with a truck with a bunch of kids in the back. They get thrown out and killed, you will be charged with vehicular manslaughter even though they are partly to blame.
NOT FAIR

Live and let live. If someone wants to ride in the back of a truck, then it's no one's business but theirs. You can not, and should not, try to police everything.

It is usually kids riding in the back of pick-ups, and they are not qualified to make such safety decisions for themselves, and apparently the adults responsible for them are too ignorant to make appropriate safety decisions for those kids, so passing and enforcing a law is necessary to protect vulnerable kids from those stupid adults.

Huh, there are no seats in a pickup bed, and there is no seat belts in the back either. They have proven over and over that seat belts saves lives. Seems like a no brainer for anyone that has a little bit of commen sense. Adults should be roll models for the younger ones and teach them right from wrong, whats safe and not safe. And if they can not do that, do not have children. Just my 2 cents

There was a pick up truck with kids in the back that rolled over out east STX 2 weeks ago. At least one child had serious injuries. Another one I saw near the Buccuneer a year or so ago was a guy sitting on a big mattress in the back of a truck. The mattress became airborne and the guy crashed into the road,dead.. The legislators discussed a law that would ban the practice but I think it got tabled. It is so crazy, A law would save several lives per year. I guess I'll put this issue on my list for when I interact with the primary candidates.

I believe that with personal freedom comes personal responsibility. It is not responsible to ride in the back of a pick-up truck, to not use seat belts, or to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. Many do, are injured and become the responsibility of the state. It is not realistic that an individual, charities or family members can financially or physically care for a paraplegic or quadriplegic indefinitely without state assistance.

As far as illness goes, I believe, just like car insurance, people should be required to have health insurance.

And yes, I also think that fools who participate in risky behaviour like mountain climbing out of season, diving irresponsibly, etc. and cost the taxpayers $$$$ should be held financially accountable for their rescue.

So if you decide to exercise your freedom in any of these ways and are involved in an accident, try to get yourself killed instead of maimed.

As has been said before, children are another matter.

Edited to say that I may have gone overboard on "getting yourself killed" I was trying to make a point.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a spot on a Tortola radio station about riding in the back of pick up trucks. It was a skit with a guy and a girl talking about a friend who was injured from falling off the rail (side) of a pick up truck bed. The spot said it's OK to ride in the bed of a PU truck (in the BVI) as long as you're sitting on the deck.