Pet Travel by Car: Get your pet off your lap – it could be the law in your state.

Pet Travel by Car - No pets in your lapHow many times when you are running errands or driving across town does a car pull up next to you at a traffic light with a pet sitting on the driver’s lap? Usually, it is a cute little dog with its head out the window while the driver has one hand around its body and the other on the wheel of the car. Little do these drivers consider how dangerous this is for their pup and for themselves and the passengers in the car.

According to a 2010 survey by AAA, 20% of pet owners drive with their pets on their lap and 30% report being distracted by them. These same drivers would not allow their child to sit in their lap when driving so why would they allow their pet to do it?

According to a recent article in USA Today, New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) officers are enforcing pet restraint laws with tickets ranging from $250 to $1,000 per offense. It is also illegal to drive with a pet in your lap in Hawaii, Arizona, Connecticut and Maine according to USA Today. Legislation is currently proposed in Rhode Island to report someone who witnessed a change of lanes from a driver whose vision was blocked by a lap pet. In short, as pets have become more of our family, laws are springing up to better protect them and their welfare.

What is the answer? Spend your laptime with your pet at home in your easy chair. When on the road, safety is key. Restrain your pet either by a pet harness, a pet carseat or a pet carrier or crate. Pet travel by car should be safe for everyone, including your precious cargo.


Comments

Pet Travel by Car: Get your pet off your lap – it could be the law in your state. — 4 Comments

  1. Alyssa,
    Easy. Don’t let your dog sit in your lap. Simply push it away and discipline if necessary until it learns that it is not ok. Consider what happens if you have a head on collision. Your airbag deploys, and your end up wearing your dog, after it is swished like a jelly donut.

  2. I would love to see laws that require all dogs in vehicles to be restrained in either crates or seatbelts. Having been in a number of accidents myself, one of which my dog was safely crated, always makes me worry about unrestrained pets in vehicles.

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