Unfortunately, for some people it's not that simple. In many families, especially those who live in rural areas, the pickup may be the only family vehicle. Because riding in the open bed of a pickup is so dangerous, it's also illegal. A person commits an offense if the person operates an open-bed pickup truck or an open flatbed truck or draws an open flatbed trailer at a speed of more than 35 miles per hour when a child younger than 12 years of age is occupying the bed of the truck or trailer. The Texas Agricultural Extension Service is working to prevent this kind of incident by educating drivers and the general public on the price paid for the ride in the back of a pickup, Albers said.
Prevention is simple.