Is Driving Under Dog Dangerous

Having seen an incidence of this today, it was fresh in my mind.

Driving down Brooks I came up on a truck going about 15 MPH below the speed limit, which is certainly not a crime. I'm just wondering if the Dachsund on the driver's lap wasn't a bit of a distraction. Well, Rhode Island is joining the heightened awareness of distracted driving with a proposal in the state legislature to make driving with a canine co-pilot in your lap an $85 fine. Fair enough? I mean I think a dog in the lap is as potentially risky as talking on your cell phone, don't you?  And if you're letting the dog use your cell phone to make a call while it's on your lap, then that could be really distracting!  DB