Under what condition can passengers in the bed of a pickup truck be exempt from using a seat belt?

Passengers in the bed of a pickup truck can be exempt from using a seat belt when all cab seats are occupied. This provision acknowledges that when the truck's cab is filled to capacity, there may not be enough seating available for all passengers inside the vehicle. Consequently, the law allows for this exemption to ensure that when uptake of space in the cab is reached, passengers can still ride safely in the bed, provided that other safety guidelines are followed.

In contrast, other conditions may not provide exemptions for seat belt use. For instance, there are specific regulations regarding the age of passengers that may affect safety requirements, but exemptions based on age alone generally don’t apply in this context. Similarly, sitting on the edge of the bed or the enclosure status of the truck bed does not automatically justify forgoing seat belt use, as these factors do not prioritize overall passenger safety in transit.