In Hawaii, it’s not strange to see folks riding in the beds of pickup trucks. New road laws might start to change that.
A recent bill raises Hawaii’s truck bed riding age from 12 to 16. Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed it into law in June.
Truck bed riding has a long history in Hawaii. “It takes us back to even the plantation days,” says Kimeona Kane, a Native Hawaiian. He grew up riding in truck beds to football and baseball practice.
Many parts of Hawaii were once sugar and pineapple plantation communities. Workers came from all over the world. They often piled into the backs of trucks to get around the fields.
Some large families see truck bed riding as necessary. In many cases, family members can’t all fit in the cab of one vehicle, and they may not be able to afford a second one.
But Hawaii’s streets have grown busier and faster. That’s especially true near the capital city, Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Kane no longer allows his kids to ride in truck beds on highways. In an accident, truck bed riders face greatly increased risk. Without seat belts, they could be thrown from the vehicle.
Governor Green himself saw that happen. In 2023, he was driving behind a truck when a man fell from the truck bed. Green, a physician, rushed to help.
“I would prefer that nobody ride in a truck bed, because people need to be belted in,” Green said in a statement at the time.
Officials want to both ensure safety and protect beloved traditions. That’s no easy task. “Where do you strike the balance of safety and trying to maintain this culture of something that’s so synonymous with people in Hawaii?” asks state representative Darius Kila.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have similar truck bed laws. These laws make exceptions for farm use, parades, and emergencies. Hawaii’s new rule makes similar exceptions. It also says people over 16 years old can ride in truck beds only if there isn’t room in the cab.
Cultural traditions can connect us to our homes and our histories. But tradition alone isn’t always a reason to keep doing something—especially something unsafe. Have Hawaii’s lawmakers found a healthy balance for truck bed riding? Have they gone too far? Do they need to go farther?
Kila believes lawmakers will someday ban truck bed riding entirely. “It will probably be met with resistance,” he says. “And then 20 years later after the fact, it will just be like, wow, we should have done that sooner.”
By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just. — Proverbs 8:15
