Allow open-bed riding in pickup trucks

Summary#

Michigan Senate Bill 1194 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code by repealing section 682b. The bill’s title says its goal is to allow passengers to ride in the open bed or cargo area of a pickup truck. It is introduced and is not law.

  • If enacted, section 682b would be removed from the Code.
  • The bill does not add replacement rules or set conditions for passengers riding in pickup beds.
  • The text does not create a new program, office, fee, or fine.

What it means for you#

  • Pickup truck drivers and passengers: If enacted, the bill would remove section 682b. The title indicates this is intended to allow passengers to ride in an open pickup bed or cargo area. The supplied materials do not include the current text of section 682b, so they do not show exactly what restrictions would be removed.
  • Other road users: The bill does not directly change other traffic rules in its text. It also does not say whether other laws would still limit this kind of ride.

Money#

No publicly available information on costs.

  • The bill does not state an appropriation, fee, or staffing requirement.
  • No cost estimate is provided.

What is unclear#

  • What restrictions or protections section 682b currently contains; the current section text was not supplied.
  • Whether other laws would still restrict passengers riding in an open pickup bed or cargo area.
  • Whether any conditions, such as limits on who may ride or where, would apply after repeal.
  • When the repeal would take effect; no start date appears in the supplied text.

Case for#

  • A possible argument for the bill is that repealing section 682b could remove a statutory barrier to riding in an open pickup bed, consistent with the goal stated in the title.
  • The bill makes a narrow change: it repeals one section and does not add a new regulatory process.

Case against#

  • The bill repeals section 682b without adding replacement conditions or safeguards. The supplied materials do not show what protections, if any, would be removed.
  • It is unclear how the repeal would interact with other traffic laws, so the practical effect may not be clear to drivers and passengers.