• Tweet
• Sumo

• Tweet

Two Alabama teenagers, ages 14 and 15, were killed in a car crash while riding unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck bed. The crash occurred Sunday afternoon in Baker, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The victims were Evan Carpenter and Michael Levi Neal from Red Level, Alabama.
Riding in the back of a pickup truck bed remains a troubling and preventable cause of fatalities and serious injuries. Because there are no seat belts or restraints in the bed of a truck, both children and adults can easily be thrown out from the truck even at low speeds. Keep in mind, truck beds are designed to carry cargo, not people. Drivers and owners of trucks should not transport passengers in the back of a truck. A driver has the responsibility to make sure that he or she operates the vehicle in the manner intended and with the number and placement of passengers according to manufacturer recommendations.
Each state treats the risk of riding in the bed of a pickup truck differently. In Florida, it is unlawful for any person under the age of 18 to ride in the open body of a pickup truck unless the minor is restrained within the open body of the truck that has been modified to include secure seating and safety restraints to prevent the passenger from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the truck. The restrictions on riding in the back of a pickup truck are outlined in Florida Statutes 316.2015. For more information on this topic,see
Alabama teens killed in Florida.
In the old days and even today, it is common to see passengers in the back of a pick up truck. It was not safe in the past and certainly is not safe at the present.