PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Having a dog on your lap would join texting on the list of distracted driving violations in Rhode Island, under a bill making its way through the state legislature.
Cranston state Rep. Peter Palumbo told The Providence Journal that he proposed the legislation on behalf of a constituent who became concerned after seeing a driver with a dog in the front seat changing lanes without being able to see well.
The bill proposes an $85 fine for first offenses, a $100 fine for second offenses and a $125 fine for subsequent offenses.
The AAA motor club said in a 2010 survey of dog owners that 39 percent of respondents acknowledged being distracted by their dogs while driving, and one in five allowed their dog to sit in their lap.
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