A pet's place is in the back of a moving vehicle

Much has been said in recent years about cellphone use when one is operating a vehicle. But there is another obvious concern many find "too cute" to be concerned about.
Many drivers in this city - indeed, everywhere - drive with a pet on their lap or their shoulders. You see anything from a cat draped across someone's shoulders as they navigate city streets, to a mid-sized dog with its head hanging outside the driver's window. How can that be safe?
You wouldn't drive with your child perched on your lap, so why would you allow your pet behind the wheel?
Not only is the pet a distraction for the driver, it can also be a visual obstacle and a steering hazard.
You might love your pet to death, but why put it in that position? If you are involved in a collision that causes the airbags to deploy, you pet could be seriously injured or killed - or worse, it could cause you serious injury.
We know people love their pets and want to spend time with them. If taking them for a drive is their thing, put them in the back seat and make them stay there. If you are driving it from point A to point B, think about using a pet carrier in the back seat.
Yes, many of them are cute and people smile when they see their furry heads sticking out a window. But they're not so cute when they are jumping around and causing the driver to stretch his or her neck in every direction just to see out the front window.
Several provinces and states have already banned cellphone use by the driver of a moving vehicle. Drivers already face many distractions from passengers, the radio and events outside the vehicle which are out of their control.
Why throw in the complication of a pet on your lap? Drivers who chauffeur their pets around on their laps should face charges of driving without due care and attention. Maybe then they will put their pets in their place, keeping them safer, the driver safer and the public safer.