A new Florida law could prohibit dogs from sticking their heads out of car windows.
The legislation, which was presented last week by state Sen. Lauren Book, would make it illegal for a dog to extend “any other body part outside a motor vehicle window while the person is operating the motor vehicle on a public roadway” and for drivers to “hold a dog in his or her lap,” according to Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
A dog would either need to travel in a crate, be restrained by a harness or seatbelt, or be under the control of someone other than the driver while the car is moving.
The bill, according to Sen. Book, is primarily concerned with the wellbeing of dogs by shielding them from the elements and preventing them from escaping.
Others, like Florida Voices for Animals’ Brittany Livingston, think this bill would address a possible issue with distracted driving. In order to be the safest driver you can be when driving, you must now concentrate on what is going in front of you while holding a companion animal in your lap or with its head out the window, according to Livingston.
Drivers who break this provision will receive a moving violation if the bill is approved.