Turns Out, Driving Around With Car Seats In Pickup Beds Is Legal

This video filmed on Route 54 just outside Wichita, KS last month has gone viral and is causing controversy across the internet. At first glance, it looks like there are kids in regular car seats strapped into the Chevy Silverado’s bed which obviously, is extremely illegal and dangerous. However, after some research, it turns out they are actually twin jump seats produced by a company called BedRyder. The company, although now out of business, specialized in adding legal “outdoor” seating to pickups.

Turns out the company was featured on Shark Tank back in 2015 which appeared to be the height of the company’s success. And surprisingly enough, BedRyder meets all relevant U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. Yes, it’s legal in all 50 states.

Of course, safety is a valid concern with this setup. For the purpose of this particular video, Kansas law states that anyone over 14 years old can ride anywhere in a pickup truck bed, whether they are properly restrained or not. And if they are under 14? It’s still “technically” legal as long as there are proper restraints in place.

So where do you stand? Is it an okay move on the parents/adults part? Should the seats be used only on surface streets? Should they not be legal at all?