Woman’s $311 mistake driving with her dogs in her lap
A woman has made a costly mistake after being caught driving down a motorway with not one but two dogs free in her car, one of them riding in her lap.
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A police officer watched in shock as a woman drove past him with two dogs roaming free in her car, one of them hanging out the window of her convertible and sitting in her lap.
Queensland Police shared the footage of the 35-year-old Gold Coast woman driving down a motorway, with one of the dogs “walking around the car and dash at will”.
“This driver has learnt that the car is no place for lapdogs,” they shared on Twitter.
“Police would like to remind all motorists that driving with unrestrained people and animals can result in a fine. Keep you and your pets safe.”
The officer can be heard in the footage saying, “That’s absolutely ridiculous. Look at this. Two dogs on her lap”.
He then pulls the woman over and she immediately knows why.
“You know why I’m talking to you today, don’t you?” he asks.
“Because of my dogs,” she replies.
“You can’t have two dogs on your lap,” he responds.
“It’s a bit distracting. One of them was out the window, the other one was bouncing around the dash.”
The officer fined the woman $311 for driving with a person or animal in her lap.
“While they are distracting, it’s also important for all to put the safety of all road users and passengers first when getting behind the wheel,” police said.
Earlier this year a survey by Ford found one third of dog owners don’t secure their pets in the car.
If a crash occurs at 40km/h an airborne pet can have impact forces up to 40 times its weight. Which means not only is your pets life put at risk but so is yours.
The fine can actually be much higher than what the woman got stung - motorists can face fines of more than $5000 and up to six months in jail under the prevention of cruelty to animals provision if their pet is injured or hurts someone else during an accident.
The RSPCA says more than 5000 animals are killed in crashes in Australia each year.
Originally published as Woman’s $311 mistake driving with her dogs in her lap
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