BURRILLVILLE – Kids should absolutely, never ever, ride in the bed of a pickup truck. It is extremely dangerous and could cause severe injuries such as brain injuries, broken bones, severe lacerations and even be fatal to kids of any age.
It’s not safe for teenagers or adults to ride in open beds of pickup trucks anywhere. Truck beds are for cargo and nothing else. Kids belong safely restrained in backseats. Car seats installed rear-facing are designed for infants and toddlers that aim to help prevent unintentional injuries. Booster seats and seatbelts for older kids properly restrained in backseats help save lives. Truck beds have no restraints or seatbelts to help protect children in case of a crash or impact with another vehicle on pavement or stationary items such as fences, trees and boulders if off-roading.
Boost up, buckle up, kids.
Jim Weicherding is a Burrillville resident, and the founder and creator of an award-winning traffic safety effort Seasons of Safety. Weicherding contributes kids’ coloring cartoons, which can be printed and used to help parents discuss safety issues with their children. He has a long list of police officers and firefighters in his family and has worked with law enforcement and firefighters in a creative public safety capacity for more than two decades.
