Thread: kids in trucks

this is related but not. I was originally told that anyone could ride in a truck bed here in TX, but today discovered otherwise.

tomorrow the 911 ops are gonna hear my voice all the way to work and back because now that it's summer there are illegal families hauling their kids to work with them in the beds of trucks. Not only is this illegal but it is UNSAFE.

just gives me a good reason to get them pulled over.

now to get Farmers Branch and Dallas to get the federal immigration training for their police.....

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/DLhandbook.pdf

according to the Texas DMV handbook on page 72 explains the rules of carrying persons in an open bed truck or trailer

VEHICLES WITH OPEN BEDS
A person commits an offense if the person operates an open bed truck or an
open flatbed truck or draws an open flatbed trailer when a child younger than
18 years of age is occupying the bed of the truck or trailer. (It is a defense to
prosecution that the person was (1) operating or towing the vehicle in a
parade or in an emergency; (2) operating the vehicle to transport farm-workers
from one field to another field on a farm-to-market road, ranch-to-market
road, or county road outside a municipality; (3) operating the vehicle on a
beach; (4) operating a vehicle that is the only vehicle owned or operated by
the members of a household; or (5) operating the vehicle in a hayride permitted
by the governing body of or a law enforcement agency of each county
or municipality in which the hayride will occur.)
OPEN BED PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS
A person may not operate a truck, road tractor, or truck tractor when another
person occupies a trailer or semi-trailer being drawn by the truck, road
tractor, or truck tractor. (Class B Misdemeanor) (it is a defense to prosecution
that the person was (1) operating or towing the vehicle; (A) in a parade
or in an emergency; (B) to transport farm-workers from one field to another
field on a farm-to-market road, ranch-to-market road, or county road outside
a municipality; or (C) in a hayride permitted by the governing body of or a law
enforcement agency of each county or municipality in which the hayride will
occur; (2) the person operating or towing the vehicle did not know that
another person occupied the trailer or semi-trailer; or (3) the person occupying
the trailer or semi-trailer was in a part of the trailer or semi-trailer
designed for human habitation.)

This is not at all surprising. Around here they will ride with their little ones in their cars without car seats. I have seen our nearest neighbor come in from the grocery store with her 2 year old in her lap.

It is a blatant violation of the law and also a heavy risk. My oldest daughter is now 24, almost 25 and my mother bought her a carseat for the ride home from day one, back then it was a new law.

The real reasoning my mother felt so strongly about it was that she and my father had been commuting to work one day, and came upon a bad car accident and three medics were around this child, and all she could see was a bloody little hand, not moving. She was so upset, and made sure every granchild has a carseat from that moment on.

I cannot understand it, to me it is about how much you love your children to do whatever you can to protect them. So much for family values, eh?