Q: Stephanie Fujiwara of Upland asked if it is legal for motorists to hold a dog on their lap while driving and allow the dog to hang its head out the window. “It seems so dangerous and a distraction for the drivers. I thought dogs were supposed to be restrained,” she said.
A: In California, it’s legal to drive with your dog on your lap or unrestrained in your vehicle, head hanging out the window and all, as there is nothing specifically in the California Vehicle Code that forbids this or says it’s illegal.
However, unrestrained dogs (and cats) can distract the driver and the California Highway Patrol strongly advises against allowing animals to be unrestrained in a vehicle while driving. An unrestrained pet also could become a deadly projectile in the event of a sudden stop or crash, injuring or killing passengers and the pet. Pets can be injured or killed also if the airbag deploys in an crash. The CHP also recommends against allowing a dog to ride with its head hanging out the window as it could be injured by an obstacle close to the vehicle or from dirt or debris that could get into the dog’s ears, nose, eyes and mouth.
Ideally, dogs should be restrained with a kennel, secured in a pet car seat, or secured by a dog seatbelt or leash in the back seat, according to the CHP.
Also, you should know, a driver with an unrestrained dog could be cited under a different Vehicle Code section, such as driving with a blocked view or driving at an unsafe speed, said CHP Officer Dan Olivas of the Inland Division. This would be up to the officer’s discretion.
Q: “Why do I see so many cars with expired registration tags here in Southern California?” asks Shirley Houghton. She wants to know if there is somewhere she could send pictures of the violators to report them.
A: As to why there are so many vehicles with expired tags in Southern California, we can only guess. Perhaps people avoid reregistering (and hope they don’t get caught) to avoid expensive fees, or maybe registering their vehicle in another state where it’s cheaper. It’s also possible the registration is just pending. Vehicles with expired registration tags parked in public can be cited. Citizens can call their local police department’s non-emergency number to report the alleged offenders and ask for enforcement. Vehicle owners with expired tags have a short grace period before they are ticketed and officers must verify, using available department records, that no current registration exists for the vehicle before citing it.
There is no place or website where citizens can upload a photo to report expired tags; a law enforcement officer would have to see the violation in person to issue a citation as well as verify the vehicle’s location and other information.
In a related note, a couple months ago we answered a similar question from a reader about issuing citations to vehicles not currently registered. Patrick Armstrong of Claremont, a retired motorcycle traffic sergeant, wrote in and asked us to remind readers that Section 22651 (o) of the California Vehicle Code authorizes the towing of a vehicle if the registration is six months or more overdue or expired. If your car is towed because the registration is late by six months or more, you’ll have to pay the late registration fees and any towing or impound costs before the vehicle could be released. This could be quite expensive.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call us at our new phone number, 951-368-9995.