Why Kids Are at Risk

The popularity of trucks is growing every year, and more parents are using trucks to transport their families. Children are 10 times more likely to die when riding in a cargo bed than while riding in the passenger area. Each year, children account for more than half of the 200 deaths resulting from riding in cargo beds. Ejection during a crash is the most common cause of death and injury. However, even if there is no crash and you are driving at a low speed, sudden swerving, stopping or bumpy roads can cause injury to children in the cargo bed or who fall out of the vehicle. Cargo covers do not provide protection. In fact, they can potentially lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Protecting Your Family

* Never allow anyone to ride in the bed of a pickup truck.

* Always use child safety seats and/or safety belts correctly.

* Child safety seats must not be used on side-facing or rear-facing jump seats.

* Be sure at least 80 percent of the child safety seat base is on the truck’s seat.

* Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag. Please see your owner’s manual regarding the passenger air bag cut-off switch.

* Restrain children ages 12 and under in the back in a forward-facing seat. If there is no back seat available, forward-facing children (over 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds) should be placed in their appropriate child safety seat with the vehicle seat pushed as far back as possible.

Protecting Communities

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed the Kids Aren’t Cargo campaign for various businesses, nonprofit agencies and safety advocates to educate families about the dangers of kids riding in cargo beds. Safety advocates are working with their local and state legislators to enact laws making it illegal for children to ride in cargo beds. Twenty-five states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws that restrict certain passengers from riding in pickup truck beds. However, many of these laws still contain huge gaps in coverage -- potentially leaving child passengers at risk.