Rusty may soon be demoted to the back seat

Having watched - and attempted to photograph - the various behaviors at traffic lights - I can confidently say that there are lots of distractions going on in cars - food and drink, cigarettes, eye makeup, deodorant (I kid you not - there was a guy putting on deodorant at a stop light!), music (I always like seeing the drivers moving in the car and singing). So why pick on pets - in laps ? Just a politician attempting to deal with only a singular visible instance - rather than deal with  the general "problem - though I see no data indicating that it is a  real  "problem" other than he saw someone with 3 dogs in their lap. Nothing about car wrecks - lost lives -  pain and suffering -  indicating a real "need" for his legislation.

I don't restrain my dogs while in the car, but they usually remain in the backseat. Sometimes Wiley will jump up front and quietly sit in my lap while he looks out the window. The pictures that are posted here were taken while the car was not moving. I wouldn't let me dogs be in that position while the car was moving. I think a dog should be allowed to go unrestrained as long as they are not causing the driver difficulty.

bebalm1979 has contributed a photo to this story.

This is not my dog. My pug wears a seatbelt like all my passengers do. This dog was waiting in the parking lot for the owner to return to the truck. :)

waynette has contributed a photo to this story.

My dog Lola, in the pictures here, wears a doggy seatbelt.  She's usually in the back seat but if it's just me and no husband Lola does get to sit in the front seat, but is still restrained.  She's never sat on my lap, but she's also too big for that... I think that would be quite a distraction!  But I agree with the previous poster... there are plenty of other things that distract us from our driving!  For example, I sat unrestrained backwards in the front seat while my husband was driving in order for me to take this picture!

This photo was taken on Glebe Point Rd, Sydney. Unfortunately for this dog all the car windows were up. It must have been a little oven in there.

Therese_Maher has contributed a photo to this story.

akovattana has contributed a photo to this story.

I don't find dogs to be nearly as distracting for drivers as cell phones, children fighting, eating while driving and my personal favorite—reading. Cats—now that would be a different story.

My dog LOVES to go for rides...on this day, I was in a hurry and needed to leave, Ish (my dog) was no where to be found...till I looked in the car...he had jumped through the window and was waiting for me...I had to drive him around our circle drive to get him to come out of the car...he never sits on my lap, however he does sit in the passenger seat...watches everything...then curls up and sleeps...

jackpineflats has contributed a photo to this story.

I think three dogs in your lap is a little much...  But there are too many other distractions that need to be looked at as well. 

My dog loves to ride in my lap, both when I'm driving and when we're passengers.  He's a well-behaved small dog, but I worry more about him getting injured in accident (airbags) than him posing as a distraction.  I see it as a good and bad idea for this ban, I guess.

Our Sweet Pea loves to ride in the car.  We do keep her restrained simply to protect her.  The restraint gives her access to the back seat, but when stopped and one of us vacates a front seat she automatically fills it.  We also do not roll the window down except for a small margin (couple inches at the most).  This allows her to sniff all the delightful aromas coming her way, but she can't stick her head out of a moving vehicle.  When I see this, although the dog is happily loving every minute of it, I always get a knot in my stomach.

I think owners have to be responsible for the well being of their pet.  Just as parents were required to do certain things to keep their kids safe, so we should take precautions to assure our pet is safe in a vehicle.  I think each owner can decide what is the best plan for their animal.  But there will always be the rebel who will not take care and so laws will be passed.  I have no problem with that.  It is just a part of being responsible.

My dog (pictured above with her tongue out) rode in the front passenger seat on our move from Texas to Las Vegas last summer, and tomorrow will begin her journey from Las Vegas back to Texas in the front seat of our truck. She particularly enjoys stopping for her Happy Meal at McDonalds. :) She cannot ride in the backseat because it makes her car sick.

Tequila and Stella love to rest or just sit in their owner's van.
I wouldn't feel surprised if I saw them driving, one day. And I wouldn't feel surprised if they were better drivers than many humans.

roseinthedark has contributed a photo to this story.