Driving with your dog in your lap - will soon become illegal.

A 2010 survey by AAA found that driving while balancing a dog on one's lap is far more prevalent - and distracting - then anyone thought.

According to the survey, 21% of respondents admitted letting a dog sit in their laps while they drove; 7% said they'd given their dog food or water while driving, and 5% had played with the pup while the car moved. Thirty-one percent admitted to being distracted by their dog while driving, no matter whe
re the dog spent the journey.

“An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph will exert roughly 500 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2400 pounds of pressure,” said Beth Mosher, AAA Director of Public Affairs. “Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and anyone in the vehicle in its path.”

 The online study has a sample size of 1000 dog people who have driven with their dog in the last year.

In the soon to be released book, Stress Out for Cats, Dogs & their People, one contributor shares her story and how her dog paid the price of riding in her lap while she was driving.

Any parent knows how distracting a child can be in the car; and a child not in a proper seat and seatbelt is dangerous to both the child and the drivers ability to stay focused on the road. So the question is why do drivers think that a dog is less of a distraction, or deserves less safety in the car?

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