Lably
Skip to content

Passenger

Person who travels in a vehicle without operating it

  • 4 min read
  • 2 chapters
  • 1 lab on Lably
Passengers on a boat in the Danube Delta.
TriviaKing ( talk )DWS · CC BY-SA 3.0

Learn it on Lably

Crew members (if any), as well as the driver or pilot of the vehicle, are usually not considered passengers. For example, a flight attendant on an airline would not be considered a passenger while on duty and the same with those working in the kitchen or restaurant on board a ship as well as cleaning staff, but an employee riding in a company car being driven by another person would be considered a passenger, even if the car was being driven on company business.

In most jurisdictions, laws have been enacted that dictate the legal obligations of the owner of a vehicle or vessel, or of the driver or pilot of the same, towards the passengers. With respect to passengers riding in cars and vans, the driver may owe a duty of care to passengers, particularly where the passenger's presence in the vehicle can be seen to "confer some benefit on the driver other than the benefit of their company or the mere sharing of expenses". In other situations, however, guest statutes may limit the ability of passengers to sue the driver of the vehicle over an accident. Many places require cars to be outfitted with measures specifically for the protection of passengers, such as passenger-side air bags. With respect to passengers on commercial vehicles or vessels, both national laws and international treaties require that the carrier act with a certain standard of care. The number of passengers that a vehicle or vessel may legally carry is defined as its seating capacity.

Sign in to keep reading

One more chapter is free with a Lably account.

More in Transportation