(Series: 10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving)
Seeing a car moving down the road with a big dog head leaning out the back window often causes a smile. Unfortunately, it is common for people to drive with their pet or even their child in their lap, and that is unsafe.
For the driver, they are trying to show care and affection as they pet their dog (or other animal). It is not as common to see a child sitting in their lap, but when it happens you know that the adult probably has good intentions allowing the kid to have the awesome feeling of controlling the vehicle.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
Having something in your lap while driving is a distraction. We have already discussed distracted driving. Adding freewill to whatever on your knees greatly increases the risk of something going wrong. For animals, they can be unpredictable and their sudden movements can cause a crash. For children, its simply illegal and unsafe to transport a child in a car without an appropriate car seat.
Choose to drive safely. Keep your lap unoccupied and your vehicle occupants safe.