Utah has laws now about using seat belts and even (finally) making calls and texting while driving. But the idiots with the dogs are still free to be idiots.
Seriously, if it's distracting to text while driving, how is it not distracting to have a dog on one's lap while driving? I've seen people with dogs the size of bison calves actually causing their cars to rock back and forth as the animals ran from window to window. I've seen people with dogs from the size of large rats to as large as Golden Retrievers on their laps while they drive.
I've thought these people to be risking their own and others' safety.
But a day or two ago, I saw the absolutely most idiotic dog driver ever.
I exited the freeway and came up behind a middle-aged woman at a red light on a six-lane MAJOR traffic artery with heavy traffic. She was on a motorized scooter. As the light changed, I noticed that she was not only traveling 5 miles lower than the posted speed limit and 10 miles below the average speed on the road -- thus causing a lengthy back up behind her, but also that she had a medium-sized dog standing on the foot rest of the scooter. It was not secured in any way. One small bump would have sent that dog flying -- and caused a multi-car pile up while I tried to miss the dog. Not only would the dog die, but possibly several people.
Absolutely, she was an idiot. But I bet anything she'd call herself an animal lover. *rolls eyes*