CHP issues citation after finding passenger in lawn chair in commercial vehicle

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently caught a commercial vehicle passenger using a “creative seating solution” in the Tracy area and issued a citation.

On January 24, 2025 CHP’s Tracy Division detailed a traffic stop involving a commercial vehicle at 11th Street Grant Line Road in San Joaquin County, California.

Troopers found the right front passenger sitting on a lawn chair without a seatbelt and issued a citation for violating California Vehicle Code 27315(e), which requires all passengers over 16 years of age to be restrained by a seatbelt, with an exclusion for passengers in the sleeper berth.

CHP warned that the lawn chair seating solution posed a safety risk in the event of a crash:

“This might look like a creative seating solution, but using anything other than the manufacturer-installed seat while driving could be a serious safety risk. Vehicle seats are engineered to work with seat belts, airbags, and crash dynamics. A folding chair? Not so much. In a sudden stop or crash, unsecured seating can lead to severe injuries—or worse—because there’s nothing to keep you properly positioned or restrained.

Short trips. Long trips. Any trip. Use the seat the vehicle was designed with. Because when things go wrong on the road, “close enough” isn’t good enough.“

In November 2025, CHP’s Grapevine Enforcement Facility found a similar violation and warned about the safety concerns associated with riding in a lawn chair.