is it legal to drive with a dog on your lap?

Answer 1

i dunno where you live, but its illegal in canada

Answer 2

If you live in Pennsylvania it is as they have passed a law requiring all pets to be restrained by either a pet seatbelt/harness or crate at all times in a car. Some other states may also have laws about dogs in a driver's lap. I personally think it should be illegal everywhere. Unattentive drivers are a major cause of accidents. In many areas it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving because drivers distracted by cell phones have caused so many devastating and fatal accidents. Dogs are a hundred times more distracting than cell phones.

Aside from distracting the driver and significantly increasing the chances of an accident caused by driver negligence, there are many safety reasons (for the dog) why it is not a good idea to drive with a dog in your lap. Air bags, crushing injuries from the steering column, being thrown from the vehicle, etc are all obvious safety concerns. Then there are less obvious concerns, like road rage. I'm sure by now we have all heard of the woman who's dog was ripped out of her lap and tossed into rush hour traffic (where it was then killed) by the angry man in California. While I do feel for that woman since she lost her pet I can't help but feel that it was her own fault. If the dog had been properly restrained instead of in her lap it would never have happened (not that it excuses the action of the man who threw it into traffic).

Answer 3

I'd say it's about as legal as using a celphone while driving. Remember if a dog is on your lap and you suddenly have to brake hard - or God forbid have an accident - you end up either squashing the dog between yourself and the steering wheel - which is good for you, bad for the dog - or the dog could slip down to your legs which is bad for your control of the vehicle.

Add to the fact that the dog could cause all sorts of distractions while on your lap which includes, but is not limited to LBM and peeing.

If it's a small toy dog, you're safer off getting the dog an animal carrier.

Answer 4

In canada, it is illegal to drive with any pet on your lap. In most states of the USA, there is no law specifically addressing dogs in drivers’ laps.

However, the size or behavior of the dog can bring it under a law State Trooper called “Obstruction to Driver’s View or Driving Mechanism.”

That means if the dog is so big the driver can’t see in all directions or so active that the driver is struggling to control it or the vehicle, an officer might cite the person.


Regardless, you generally shouldnt drive with your dog on your lap. It is not safe for you, your pet, nor any other vehicles on the road.

Pet carriers of various sizes can be purchased for cats or small dogs. Harnesses and net or cage barriers for station wagons are available for larger pets. There is a doggy seat belt too, that attachs to their collar.

In other words, try NOT to follow this example:

http://www.doglaw.com/Rollover_Rover_/barneybushdriving20040818.jpg

Answer 5

It's probably not illegal, but it is dangerous and irresponsible.
It can cause distractions for you, and in the case of an accident, the dog could be seriously, or fatally injured.
Train your dog to sit in the back seat, or in the passager seat. From a safety standpoint, they should be in a crate but that's probably unrealistic for most people.
Anywhere is better than your lap.

Answer 6

Some places probably not but should be.

In Canada, children under a certain height are not even allowed in the front passenger seat, because if an airbag goes of it can decapitate them, so you can pretty much be sure it would do the same to a dog

Answer 7

It is legal but it's also stupid. Because what happens is that in an accident, the dog now effectively becomes your airbag. So I suppose in that case maybe it's a smart idea. After all, now you have two layers of protection in case of a crash (dog + airbag). But in the dog's case, it's a certain recipe for death.

Remember, you can legislate a lot of things, but you can't legislate stupid.

Answer 8

Legal or not, it is not a good idea. The dog would probably fare very badly in an accident. An airbag inflating would probably kill it, as would the steering column being pushed back. Why would you want to risk that for your dog?

Answer 9

I don't know about legal, but it's not very smart. I have shih tzus and chihuahuas. The biggest weighs 8 pounds. Can you imagine what an airbag going off would do to a dog that size???

Answer 10

I don't know if it's legal but it isn't safe for you or the dog.
What do you think will happen if you're in an accident??
My sister lost her breaks and steering and had her dog in the passengers seat in a crate. The crate actually hit and broke the windshield luckily the dog is fine.

Answer 11

In some states, it's illegal to do so. Your dog has to be restrained, like with a doggie seat belt or whatnot, hehe. My dog has a car harness in each car. It's much safer for them, and again, sometimes you're forced to do so. It's better for them anyway, and you, so I don't see the problem with it. Accidents/sudden stops are terrible/sometimes fatal for little dogs in particular riding without restraints. Think of it kind of like a baby without restraints.. they're about the same size, and can't control where they fly off to in case an accident happens. Better safe than very sorry.