Pickup trucks are increasingly popular in Vietnam, not only for their powerful, versatile appearance but also for their flexible passenger and cargo capacity. However, an important question that many people are interested in, especially those who own or intend to buy a pickup truck, is: how many passengers can a pickup truck legally carry? This article from Xe Tải Mỹ Đình experts will provide detailed and accurate information about the number of passengers allowed in a pickup truck, based on current road traffic laws, while also expanding on other related factors.
What is a Pickup Truck?
A pickup truck is a unique combination of a truck and a passenger car. Basically, a pickup truck has a closed cabin for passengers in the front and an open bed in the back for carrying goods. They are designed to meet both the needs of transporting goods and carrying people, providing high versatility for users.
Modern pickup truck with a double cabin design and a spacious cargo bed
Key Advantages of Pickup Trucks
- Powerful cargo capacity: The bed of a pickup truck can carry a large load, meeting the needs of transporting a variety of goods, even heavy goods up to more than 1 ton depending on the model.
- Comfortable cabin: Today’s pickup truck cabins are designed modernly, not inferior to ordinary passenger cars, providing comfort for passengers and can carry more people than traditional trucks.
- Flexible operation on many terrains: Most modern pickup truck models are equipped with powerful diesel engines, high ground clearance and superior drive systems, helping the vehicle easily overcome many types of terrain, from urban streets to rugged mountain roads. This is a major advantage compared to trucks and ordinary passenger cars.
- Reasonable price: Compared to SUV models in the same segment, pickup truck prices are usually softer, providing high value for money.
Disadvantages to Consider
- Large size: The overall size of a pickup truck is quite large, which can cause difficulties when moving in crowded, narrow streets or when parking.
- Basic interior: Compared to SUVs, pickup truck interiors are often designed more simply, focusing on practicality, with less emphasis on luxury and high-end amenities.
- Limited lifespan: According to current regulations, pickup trucks have a limited lifespan, usually under 25 years, which needs to be considered when choosing a vehicle.
So, How Many People Can a Pickup Truck Carry According to the Law?
According to the provisions of the Vietnam Road Traffic Law, the maximum number of seats allowed in a pickup truck is clearly stated in the Certificate of Technical Safety and Environmental Protection Inspection of the vehicle. Typically, most popular pickup truck models today are designed and registered with a seating capacity of 5 people, including the driver.
However, it should be noted that this number of seats may vary depending on the specific model and configuration. Some pickup truck models may be designed with a single cab configuration (2 seats) or an extended cab (4-5 seats).
Specific examples:
- Single cab pickup trucks: Usually designed with 2 seats, focusing on cargo capacity.
- Double cab pickup trucks (common): Usually designed with 5 seats, well meeting the needs of transporting both people and goods for families or small businesses.
In addition to the number of seats, the law also stipulates the maximum allowable weight of passengers and goods for pickup trucks. Each vehicle will have its own regulations on total tonnage, cargo tonnage and maximum passenger tonnage. This information is also clearly stated in the vehicle’s documents.
Example of payload (for reference):
Consider two versions of the Dongben van pickup truck:
- Dongben 2 seats:
- Maximum payload: 2250kg
- Maximum cargo payload: 950kg
- Maximum passenger payload (2 people): 130kg (equivalent to 65kg/person)
- Dongben 5 seats:
- Maximum payload: 2250kg (same as Dongben 2 seats)
- Maximum cargo payload: 695kg (reduced compared to the 2-seat version to increase the number of people)
- Maximum passenger payload (5 people): 325kg (equivalent to 65kg/person)
Through the above example, we can clearly see that, when the number of seats increases, the cargo payload will decrease to ensure that the total vehicle tonnage does not exceed the allowable limit. It is important to always comply with the number of seats and payload stated in the vehicle’s documents to ensure safety and compliance with the law.
Carrying People in the Bed of a Pickup Truck: Strict Regulations You Need to Know
Another common question is whether it is allowed to carry people in the bed of a pickup truck. According to Clause 1, Article 21 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, carrying people in the bed of a pickup truck is NOT ALLOWED, except for some special cases stipulated by law.
Illustration of a pickup truck, emphasizing that people are not allowed to be carried in the bed
Exceptions where people are allowed to be carried in the bed of a pickup truck:
- Carrying people to perform special tasks: Carrying people for emergency aid, disaster prevention, epidemic prevention or other urgent tasks.
- Carrying armed forces: Carrying soldiers, officers on national defense and security tasks.
- Carrying people serving the work: Carrying people learning to drive on a practice truck, carrying road maintenance workers, carrying organized parades.
- Emergency situations: Carrying people in emergency situations to evacuate from dangerous areas.
In addition to the cases listed above, any act of carrying people in the bed of a pickup truck is considered a violation of traffic law and will be penalized according to regulations. The bed of a pickup truck is designed to carry goods, not ensuring the safety of passengers when the vehicle is moving.
Advice from Xe Tải Mỹ Đình experts:
To ensure safety for yourself and those around you, as well as to comply with the law, always comply with the regulations on the number of people allowed in a pickup truck and absolutely do not carry people in the bed, except for special cases permitted by law.
Hopefully this article has helped you answer the question of how many passengers a pickup truck can legally carry. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, we are always ready to assist you. Please share this article with those who are interested so that everyone can understand the regulations and use pickup trucks safely and legally.
