Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 23, 2006 Cop’s Corner Pets shouldn’t be on driver’s lap Could you tell me if it is against the law to drive with a dog in your lap? I am so sick of seeing people driving with their animals stuck to the steering wheel. It just doesn’t seem safe. — Jennifer C. Jennifer, you’ve just hit on one of my pet peeves, if you’ll pardon the pun. I see this violation quite often, too, and you’re right, it isn’t safe for either the driver or the dog. ORS 815.270 defines the offense of operating a vehicle that is loaded or equipped to obstruct the driver. Obstruction of the driver is an extremely unsafe condition for everyone on the road. There are four ways to violate the statute — by either substantially obstructing the views to the rear, obstructing the driver’s view to the front or sides, interfering with control of the driving mechanism, or the nice catchall of preventing the free, unhampered operation of the vehicle by the driver. Advertisement I’ve seen drivers fighting to try and make a corner using just one arm while holding onto a pet with another, using the old one arm/one knee method. Besides causing hazardous driving conditions, it’s not very safe for the pet, if you think about it. Any pet hanging part way out an open window is likely to end up getting thrown out if the driver has to suddenly swerve to avoid a hazard. In a crash or hard braking, with the pet in the driver’s lap, the pet becomes mashed between the steering wheel and driver. Or, in the case of a crash, what happens if your car is air-bag equipped? Then you have an air bag coming out at 200 mph and the dog is right in the way. What’s going to happen then? So the safest and legal way to transport your pet is in any place other than the driver’s position. The pet can be in the back or in the passenger’s seat, just not in the driver’s seat. It may take some training of your pet to get it to sit in the legal areas, but in the end it’ll be safer for you and your furry companion, and just may save you from getting the $145 ticket for violating this statute. Dace Cochran, a patrol sergeant with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, writes a weekly Q&A column on police issues for the Mail Tribune. Have a question for him? Write to Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501, or e-mail [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement