Howard Pruse, Eric Oguma and Tyree Kamaunu were driving in the back of a pickup truck turning left in Maui Raceway Park when an oncoming vehicle grazed the truck on its side. The three men were immediately thrown out of the truck and pronounced dead at the scene. As we approach 2021, we`ll see changes in van safety requirements, the ability of employers to consider a criminal past when hiring, a strict ban on plastic in Oahu, and changes in minor-initiated psychiatric treatment and counseling. First, it`s important to explain what the current state law says. Children under the age of 12 cannot ride in the back of a van. Anyone can do this if all seats in the cabin are occupied. The truck must have sides and a functional tailgate. People should sit on the ground itself, not on the wheel arches and not hold a load. Q: If Maui County insists that all seat belts be fastened, why does the county allow passengers to board open truck loading areas? This law prohibits children under the age of 12 from driving in the back of a van, except in life-threatening emergencies or when the vehicle is driven in a parade, caravan or authorized exhibition. Offences are punishable by a fine of $72 each for passenger restrictions and $92 for offences against minor children. Hawaii joins states like Alabama, Alaska and Illinois in allowing passengers to ride in the back of pickup trucks — sometimes. In Hawaii, this is only allowed in certain circumstances, such as when the taxi is full.

You must also attach the side racks of the vehicle and close the tailgate. People can only sit on the loading area and must be over 12 years old. Trucks or platforms, on the other hand, are not allowed to have passengers in their beds. Some truck owners argue that sometimes they just need to transport more people than can fit in the truck. Driving on loading areas is common on roads. In 2006, four agricultural workers sitting in the back seat of a pickup truck were killed in Kunia after colliding head-on with a cement truck. It`s been two weeks since three men were killed while driving in the back of a pickup truck in Maui. This tragic accident has drawn attention to the question of whether new safety laws are needed throughout the state. Eileen Chao gets more from The Maui News. “It`s like a cultural thing in Hawaii.

They have always done it since I was a kid where we drove in the back,” said Pomai Aiu, a truck owner from Manoa. “If they made illegal people who were driving in the back of the truck, I don`t think I would have a truck because I have a lot of friends.” There are many terrifying examples online of why driving in the back of a pickup truck can be deadly. Hawaii has also experienced tragic accidents. Three years ago, 13-year-old Kaaikalauamoku Kamakea-Naluai died after being thrown from the back of a truck. The law also prohibits passengers from driving in bed or within the load range of a pickup truck manufactured after December 31, 2021, without being fastened by a seat belt. “When you`re young and you only have one truck, everyone comes to the beach. I think it`s okay to have people in the back as long as you don`t use it recklessly,” said Rich Johnson, a truck owner from Waimanalo. For more information on state laws across the country regarding driving in the back of pickup trucks, click here.

§291-14 pickup trucks; Passenger Restrictions. (a) During operation, no person shall be present on the loading area or loading area of a motor vehicle, commonly known as a van. The driver of a van may not drive the vehicle with a passenger seated on the loading area or in the loading area of the vehicle unless: In general, anything not prohibited by law is legal. But you shouldn`t trust my two-minute search. I may have missed something or there is case law on it. The Revised Hawaii Act (HRS) ¢§ 291-14 states that no passenger may ride in the back of a pickup truck unless (1) there are no seats in the cab of the vehicle; (2) the side luggage racks of the vehicle are securely secured and the tail lift or tailgate is securely closed; and (3) any passenger in the rear or loading area of the vehicle is seated on the ground and does not attempt to “check the untethered cargo”. First of all, you really shouldn`t do it, even though it`s legal to drive in the back of a pickup truck. It`s dangerous, and your insurance company won`t be very happy if an accident happens, even if it`s not your fault. “In the past, one of the problems was that people needed a multi-purpose vehicle like a truck and, in some cases, had to carry people to the back of the bed,” said Rep.

Ryan Yamane, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.