Technically speaking it is super unsafe to have them in the front of the car or in your lap. They sell crash-test harnesses that you can buckle into your backseat that have a bit of spring so the dog can still move a bit, but cannot climb into the front. If anything, your pet on your lap could be just as distracting as texting and driving or unsafe if your animal obstructs your view or ability to drive. I really wish more people would invest in safer harnesses and just keep their pets in the back seat.

If you don't want to click through to the the douchey 'something something or Die' headline in the article:

>(NH legislators are) considering a bill that would make it illegal for someone to drive with “an animal of any size on their person.”

Well people do say their pets are like children and we don’t allow children to be on a driver’s lap either.

Just like the hands free phone issue, I feel like this is already covered under the existing reckless driving law. I understand passing specific laws to rule out any ambiguity, but what is the legislature going to do, theorize about every possible reckless act and pass legislation for each and every one of them?

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265:79 Reckless Driving; Minimum Penalty. – Whoever upon any way drives a vehicle recklessly, or causes a vehicle to be driven recklessly, as defined in RSA 626:2, II(c), or so that the lives or safety of the public shall be endangered, or upon a bet, wager, or race, or who drives a vehicle for the purpose of making a record, or who drives a vehicle at a speed of 100 miles per hour or greater, and thereby violates any of the provisions of this title or any rules adopted by the director, shall be, notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII, guilty of a violation and fined not less than $500 plus penalty assessment for the first offense and $750 plus penalty assessment for the second offense nor more than $1,000 plus penalty assessment and his or her license or operating privilege shall be revoked for a period of 60 days for the first offense and from 60 days to one year for the second offense.

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/xxi/265/265-79.htm

626 IIc:

(c) "Recklessly." A person acts recklessly with respect to a material element of an offense when he is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that, considering the circumstances known to him, its disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the conduct that a law-abiding person would observe in the situation. A person who creates such a risk but is unaware thereof solely by reason of having voluntarily engaged in intoxication or hypnosis also acts recklessly with respect thereto.

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LXII/626/626-2.htm

Rhodes, a Republican from Winchester, drafted the bill after watching a young girl nearly get struck by a car driven by a man holding two small dogs with one arm and petting them with the other. When her rage subsided, she decided to take action. “I had a golden opportunity to make a positive change, so I did it,” she said. “I thought it was a no brainer.”

Say what?

Why tf would you drive with a dog on your lap? That’s incredibly unsafe… but also why would we need a law telling us not to do that?

I feel like its pretty common sense. Like...is anyone here trying to make the case as to why you should be allowed to have a pet physically ON YOU while you're driving?

>If I am driving my ill dog (or cat, or other pet) to the vet for medical attention or to be euthanized, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will have (and have had) that animal in my lap for that possibly final trip with them,

I'll give you my cold dead dog when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

If you've seen the x-rays of people who've been in car accidents with their feet up on the dashboard when the airbags deploy, you'll have a good idea of what it'd look like to have your cat small annoying dog force-fed into your abdominal cavity.

People that let their stupid fur-babies run around freely on the inside of their moving vehicles earn all the results they set in motion.

You can’t drive with a phone in your hand. Having a fucking dog in your lap can be arguably worse. You right wingers wanna huff paint or do stupid shit that doesn’t affect anyone else? Be my guest. Driving is a privilege and it comes with due care responsibilities so you don’t ruin other people’s days. This is a completely reasonable proposal

No it's not safe to be driving around with your dog or cat in your lap(I say cat also because I do know people who drive with their cats loose in the vehicle when they take their cats places) but I honestly thought this was already covered under the distracted driving law

I've never understood why it's legal to have one or more dogs jumping all over you lap while you're driving. Throw a cellphone into the mix and it's only a matter of time until some one gets clipped. These types of people need to be passengers, not drivers.

That's a clickbaitey headline if I've ever seen one. Yeah, don't drive with a pet on your lap. They can still come in the car and chill in the passenger's seat. The vast majority of us aren't moronic enough to drive with a pet on our lap so by all means pass this law.

I agree. Every time I put my Pom on my lap in the front seat she makes me move to the passenger side so so can drive all by herself. Unfortunately her feet won’t reach the pedals

Thinking this is unsafe is one thing. Making it a law seems like an over reach into personal freedom.

Tell my dog that 😂

I've eaten dog. Does that make me ineligible to comment on this subject?

Dumb to drive with a dog on your lap but this should not be any sort of law. This just gives cops more leeway to pull over and harass people. If you are swerving all over the road due to a dog in your lap then they can already pull you over.