California set to order the dogs off drivers’ laps
By Keith Turner
May 19, 2008
As we previously reported, California is preparing to take the dogs off of our laps — while driving.
The measure passed the state Assembly by a hefty 44-11 vote and now heads to the State Senate where its passage is expected.
A story by Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee points out that even though there are no statistics about how many accidents have been caused by drivers who are distracted by their pets, there is evidence that many people drive with a dog in their lap.
Eight percent of drivers surveyed by Nationwide Mutual Insurance in 2006 said they had held a pet while behind the wheel.
Maze also pointed to a recent American Automobile Association study that found pets and loose objects were common distractions and significant traffic hazards.
Violators of AB 2233 would not be penalized with higher insurance rates, but they could be slapped with base fines of $35 that could rise to about $150 through penalty assessments, Maze said.
Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, voted in favor of the legislation.
“Anybody with common sense has to know that they shouldn’t be driving with an animal on their lap,” he said. “But if there are some people who think it’s acceptable, I suppose the bill will send a clear signal.”
Read the rest of the article here.
As we mentioned before, this bill is clearly necessary to help protect those of us who know better from those who don’t, but it doesn’t go far enough. What is really needed is a seat belt law that covers not just people, but all beings traveling in a vehicle. With an unrestrained pet loose in a moving vehicle, too many things can happen — all of them bad:
- A loose pet can distract the driver away from what’s happening on the road, possibly resulting in an accident.
- When there is an accident, the unrestrained dog becomes a flying object, possibly hurting the dog and/or others in the car.
- And after an accident, a dog on the loose could potentially get free of the vehicle and run out into traffic, putting him at risk for getting hit by a moving vehicle.
So while the anti-lapdog bill is a good start, here’s hoping for a stronger, more effective solution to soon follow.
(Cross-posted from DogCars.com)
I’m kinda leaning against this bill in favor of a broader, more simple approach. Something like: “All passengers and cargo should be adequately secured at all times in a moving vehicle.”
Boom. Covers drivers, passengers, babies, dogs, mattresses (I swear I see someone driving while holding a mattress on top of the car every weekend) and anything else you might wanna put in your vehicle.
Heck, being hit with a loose can of peas could be deadly!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 19, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Any allowance for dogs who really like to sit in someone’s lap while riding in the car? Yeah, maybe not the safest thing but I don’t talk on my cell phone while driving so…
*checks tiny seat belt for can of peas*
*clickity-click*
Comment by slt — May 19, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
I’m kinda of waiting for a “law” that requires all dogs to wear seatbelt-like contraptions (meant to be used while sitting on a seat) because, as a lifelong Dane owner, no such thing exists for Great Danes (and, I suppose, other giant breeds).
I won’t cage my dog…ever, really. Nor would I consider my dog’s nose a good “brake” in the event of an accident, should my dog be inside a cage in the car. And while many people let their Danes lie along the back seat (and so did I in the 70’s & 80’s), I no longer consider that a very safe, or comfortable, mode of transport for a Great Dane.
No sir, I’m still looking for a good way to secure my Great Dane that isn’t barbaric, unethical, uncomfortable, or impractical.
It would be just like politicians to make a law that applies to many/most dog owners, with no solution for those of us who don’t fit the mould. It’s not that much different than the mandatory spay/neuter laws that require sterilization at 16 weeks…waaaaaaay too young for any giant breed dog, as any good veterinarian would attest.
Comment by Marjorie — May 19, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
California law already prohibits people from driving with *anything” obstructing their view. Why the new law?
Comment by Joy — May 19, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
Gosh, I dunno … not enough to do at the statehouse?
Although a lapdog could arguably be a distraction without being a visual one.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 19, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
This is one of the reasons (unless the weather is utterly brutal) I stand outside to watch my students arrive the first night of obedience class. Seeing where and how the dog rides in the car and how he behaves when getting out of it gives me good insights on what to expect from his owner.
I do have to admit though, that I look at laws like this and wonder if where it all ends. It simply is not possible to legislate common sense or common courtesy.
Comment by Janeen — May 19, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
Back to that can of peas, my girlfriend knows someone whose aunt was killed in a minor car accident when she was hit by a bible that came flying out of the back seat…
Comment by Kristen — May 20, 2008 @ 8:51 pm
If you were in my jurisdiction and you killed someone while driving with a dog on your lap. I would ask the court to sentence you to fifty years. You know that driving with a child on your lap is wrong. Don’t you? If you here justifying driving with your pet on
Your lap you may have a more serious physiological problem. It’s not cute! It’s not
Funny! It’s not only dangerous for you. But, If puts my family at risk. I guess what they say is true. “ There are not stupid dogs. Just stupid dog owners!!” Shame On You!!
Comment by crime dog — May 26, 2008 @ 3:57 am
I see the inability to read with any degree of comprehension has popped up again (along with the typical pet-hater claims of “dog owners are stupid” and “dog-owners have psychological problems.”) Blah blah blah boy that’s new … not.
Mr. Crime Dog, you’re an idiot. No one here is suggesting that driving with a dog on his or her lap is advisable or safe.
We’re questioning if it’s necessary to have yet another law, this one specifically addressing an issue that could be — and likely is, in many places — already covered by statutes that forbid driving with unrestrained passengers or cargo, or with other driver distractions.
Take your pet-hate and your ignorance elsewhere.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 26, 2008 @ 6:20 am
Actually Crime Dog there is already a law that applies to all jurisdictions in the state. California Vehicle Code, section 21700 states “No person shall drive a vehicle when it is so loaded, or when there are in the front seat such number of persons as to obstruct the view of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle or as to interfere with the driver’s control over the driving mechanism of the vehicle.”
That pretty much dis-allows any dog in the front seat that isn’t wearing a seat belt and being well behaved. Driving with a child on your lap is not merely “wrong” it’s against the law - as it should be.
And if your standard is - anything that puts my family at risk. Perhaps you should stay off the road, only then will you have better than average odds of keeping your family safe. You should probably know what you’re talking about before you start ranting.
Comment by Dutch — May 26, 2008 @ 9:14 am
I CANNOT BELEIVE HOW FAR WE HAVE TRAVELED DOWN THE ROAD OF A FREEDOMLESS AMERICA.
Comment by CAROL THOMPSON — May 27, 2008 @ 7:11 pm
I was just stopped by an ingrate who calls himself a policeman in LAX airport. Said he was citing me for carrying my (4) dogs in the back of my SUV. Can anyone tell me if this is really against the law? If so, it’s news to me, and I will certainly be contesting this citation. To the LAX wannabe cop: “get a life”!
Comment by rob — July 2, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
It’s illegal to have unsecured dogs in the open bed of a pickup in California, but you had them in an SUV. You also can be generally cited if, in the opinion of the law enforcement officer, your dogs present a distraction that would prevent you from driving safely.
You can also be cited in CA for putting your DOGS at risk if you leave them in a vehicle on a hot day.
Did the officer at LAX actually write you a citation? Because if so, it will have the reference to the violation written somewhere on it, and you can check that reference to see what code or statute he or she thought you violated.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 2, 2008 @ 5:55 pm