Had to be a few decades ago now, but NC passed a law preventing children from riding in the bed of a truck, though if they have a seat belt, there is an adult with them, part of a parade, farm work, or an emergency, it is legal. However, to get that law passed, a couple of counties in Eastern NC were excluded. The representatives would only vote for the law if their counties did not have to comply.
When we lived in the city, there was an idiot father that would let his kids, and neighborhood kids, ride in the bed of his truck. The problem was not that they were in the bed but that he would let them sit on the rails. Sitting in the bed is not really that dangerous, and I did it quite a bit as a kid, but sitting on the bed rails is nuts.
Later,
Dan