Question: I just wanted to check - is it legal to have adult passengers ride in the back/box of a pickup truck while driving in BC, and are there any restrictions on who can do it?
Must Not Ride in the Back of a Pickup Truck
It is illegal for anyone to ride in the back of a pickup truck in BC, adult or not.
The Law
39.02 A person must not drive or operate a vehicle on a highway if
(c) there is a person in the vehicle who is not seated in a designated seating position,
39.001 In this Division, "designated seating position" means a seating position for which a seat belt assembly is provided or is required to be provided under the Act.
Division 39 of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations essentially directs that the only place a person can actually ride in a vehicle is in a seat that has been installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer. There are some exceptions to the rule, such as standing on a public transit bus or sleeping in the sleeper of a transport truck but the box of a pickup truck is not one of these exceptions.
Penalty
A traffic ticket for driving a pickup truck with people in the back is $167. There are no penalty points assessed.
Background
This law came into effect when I was working on Penticton detachment's municipal traffic unit. Until this point it was common to find a steady parade of pickup trucks on the main streets during the B.C. Day long weekend. The back of those pickups contained youths who were not always sober.
The emergency room at Penticton Regional Hospital often treated patients who had fallen out of those pickup trucks.
The law made a significant difference in hospital admissions after the implementation of the law.
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