Please Don’t Drive With Your Dog In Your Lap

Do you sometimes see dog owners driving with their dogs on their lap? While it may look cute, it is actually unsafe. There are places in the United States that have laws against driving with your dog on your lap. If you do it, you’ll have to face various penalties. Driving with your dog in your lap is dangerous for you and your pet.

YOUR DOG CAN BE A DISTRACTION

Driving is no joke, and it is certainly something that every driver needs to be careful about. According to statistics, the usual causes of distraction are the following:

• Taking your eyes off the road and/or off the wheel
• Being unable to concentrate while driving

If you have your dog on your lap while driving, then there is a huge chance that you’ll face any of the distractions that were just mentioned. Not all dogs will stay put while you are driving, and you will most probably have to take your hands off the wheel while you are driving to restrain your dog from doing something, or before it ends up climbing on anything. Taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road will only put you and your passengers in danger, increasing the possibility of a collision.

OTHER DANGERS YOU AND YOUR PET FACE

What other dangers are you putting yourself at risk of when you decide to drive with your dog on your lap? Aside from being a distraction, your dog can also get in under the seat and in between the pedals. This will increase the possibility of an accident.

Also, in the event that you have you step on the breaks, your dog can accidentally be crushed by the wheel because of the impact or force that comes with abruptly stopping. What’s even worse is if your dog slams through your windshield, injuring other passengers as well.

It is also important to know that airbags won’t be able to protect your pet, but they will actually harm them. The force of an airbag is too strong, and it will cause injuries or even be fatal to your pet dog.

AREAS THAT BAN DRIVING WITH A DOG IN YOUR LAP

Driving with your dog on your lap certainly isn’t a good idea, and some areas or states have already banned this practice. Take a look at some of the examples below:

Areas like Hawaii, Rhode Island, and New Jersey already have laws and policies that restrict pet owners from driving with their dogs on their lap. Pet owners who get caught driving with a pet on their lap can be charged for distracted driving. This is true in places like Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Some pet owners may even have to face charges like animal cruelty because letting their dogs sit on their lap means that they are endangering them.

In states like Nevada and Washington, there are certain rules on how you can drive or transport an animal. There are also various states that already have comprehensive distracted driving rules, regulations, and policies that cover driving carelessly. Driving carelessly may fall under actions such as driving with a dog on your lap.