Quote Originally Posted by Jojo View Post
I don't see any problem here, as long as the driver is aware of his/her responsibility, as your dad presumably was, and the children/people are old/mature enough to know how to behave in the back of an ute and understand the consequences of getting it wrong. Unfortunately, this part of feeling responsible for one's actions has often disappeared. I still wouldn't mind having someone riding on the tray on a farm track or similar, where no other traffic (other than cattle, maybe) will be encountered. On public roads it is an entirely different story, though, as even the most cautious driver cannot always account for other's stupidity and incompetence.
I'm not sure I agree with you here, while personal responsibility is a great thing, permanent incapacity to others caused by your personal responsibility is not.

The evidence is well and truly in that unrestrained occupants in a vehicle involved in a crash is a bad thing, it is even worse in an open vehicle where the occupants get thrown out and often rolled over by the vehicle they were once in. Spinal and brain injuries are frequently permanent and limit or prevent a person being able to care for themselves. This is not a case of the nanny state wanting to wrap everyone up in cotton wool. It is a case of legislation attempting to prevent serious life limiting injuries.