Driving with a dog on one’s lap

A measure of a population’s intelligence is whether it’s free to engage into risky behavior at the expense of others, like operating a motor vehicle with a dog or cat on the driver’s lap. To me, that’s both very risky and totally stupid, both for the car passengers, the other road users and the unrestrained pet. 

Yet, I see it everyday in my charming little town of Park City. Here, and all over Utah, there is no specific state law that explicitly prohibits driving with a small dog on your lap. 

Still there’s a so-called Utah’s Distracted Driving Law that prohibits drivers from using handheld devices, but fails to mention pets. It’s possible however (but highly unlikely), that a policeman could cite a driver for "careless driving" if the dog obstructs the control of the vehicle or is a distraction to the driver. 

In the United States, there’s no federal law explicitly prohibiting driving with a small dog on one’s lap, only a pair of states (Hawaii, Rhode Island) have laws that prohibit driving with a pet on laps. In Hawaii the fine can be up to $97 and in Rhode Island $50. In states without explicit pet laws, drivers could be cited under generic distracted driving or reckless driving laws if the pet blocks the view or the controls, but I doubt it’s even enforced. 

In Canada there’s no outright bans for lap dogs, but drivers still risk fines ($1,000 in Ontario, $368 in British Columbia or $100-200 in Quebec) and lose demerit points under the Highway Traffic Act for "careless driving" if the pet obstructs control. 

In the European Union (EU), driving with a small dog on the driver’s lap is generally illegal, and in France, where I’m from, the Police doesn’t kid around as “failure to maintain control” in that manner, means a €135 fine among other penalties. 

All this to show that we shouldn’t be so surprised that Trump got reelected!