Riding in the back of a van

[Jeza]

What are the laws around riding in the back of vans? Back in my early 20's, we used to always have crew in the back of our vans, heading down the coast or on nights out, everywhere we went we had people in the back. The panos always attracted the attention of the police but we never had any dramas with passengers in the back. Did the coppers just turn a blind eye? Does my memory serve me wrong, or is/was there a loop hole with some law that stated that you could have additional passengers as long as the other seats were taken? Same applies in sedans and wagons where you can't be booked for people without seatbelts if all available seats are taken with seatbelts on? Might vary from state to state?

Jez

[Robbo]

Not allowed to be in the back of anything in QLD, unless you are in a proper seat and wearing a seat belt.

[jennie285]

30 years ago we all rode around in the back of vans it was the norm...I think the last time I rode on the back of ute it was in99 in Western Australia as they were last to bring in that rule, as for a lot of indigenous people that was their only method of travel. Now you can't anywhere, and there are strict laws about riding in vehicles without seatbelts, and also that rule regarding, "if there isn't enough seatbelts you can sit on the seat without one", is also out the door, it was a stupid loop hole anyway, and dangerous.....this all took place after that teenager was killed about 5 years ago in the inner suburbs of Sydney being in the boot of a car.....

[Sandaro]

Jennie is right. The teenager was in the boot part of the hatch...part of the inside of the car, much like the back of a sandman van. Prior to that it was (in NSW at least) okay to be in the back as long as the front seatbelts where already in use. It was a good rule as long as no-one got hurt.

[hainzy]

What are the laws around riding in the back of vans? Back in my early 20's, we used to always have crew in the back of our vans.....
Jez

My grandpa still had a T model ford back then. I vote you as the longest running and most dedicated vanner!! Hats off to 90 years of sandmanning!

[RodneyHZ253]

My grandpa still had a T model ford back then. I vote you as the longest running and most dedicated vanner!! Hats off to 90 years of sandmanning!

Hainzy I think you miss read it like I did at first, jeza said in his early 20's not in the early 20's we don't know what time period it was because not sure of his age.

[hainzy]

Yes rodney youre indeed right. I did didnt I! OOPs Still enjoy the idea of driving a panno around in the roaring twenties though!! ha.

We always used to pile everyone in the back of the van. I had 6 in the back of my old HQ a few years ago and I was being tailed by the police at about 3am in Little Collins st in Melb. I reckon they were minutes from putting the sparklers on, when some idiot drove past us going the wrong way on the one way street so the cops did a U'ey and chased him instead! My mate had a HR panno and I remember one night a few years ago driving from the punters club to another pub in Melb and we had 14 in the back.

[Jeza]

My grandpa still had a T model ford back then. I vote you as the longest running and most dedicated vanner!! Hats off to 90 years of sandmanning!

I'm 38 now so was referring to 15-20 years ago back in WA. I used to live around the corner from where Adam is now and haunt the coast from Rockingham to Margs. There was a couple of us 'bogan surfers' with our vans ending often in the car parks of the 3 Bears Bar, Settlers or the beaches around Margs after large nights out.

I didn't mind the title of longest running and most dedicated Vanner though.

I know of the safety risks around riding in the back of a van, but this was one of the most fun parts of 'vanning'. Kind of takes a little bit of a gloss off it now?