BCHP: No, you cannot legally drive with a dog in your lap

Keep your windshield free of distractions, your hands on your wheel, and your dog secured in a passenger seat. BC Highway Patrol wants you to avoid getting a ticket for preventable behaviour.

On April 9, 2025, a driver on Lougheed Highway near Production Way in Burnaby, BC, was issued a ticket for driving while controls obstructed, section 195(1)(a) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act ($109), because he was holding his dog while driving.

Driving is a complex task. You need all of your attention for unexpected lane changes, pedestrians, weather and obstacles, says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. Having a dog on your lap is illegal and a minor collision could kill your best friend. It’s best if pets are belted in properly, ideally with a harness in the rear passenger seat, just like a human child.

Other obstructive driving behaviours that are illegal but common:

• Mounting your cell phone on your windshield;
• Fuzzy dice, air fresheners, tissue boxes and anything else that can obstruct your view through the windshield;
• Blankets, privacy screens, or tinting on passenger or driver’s windows that are forward of the B pillar (the vehicle’s roof pillar located behind the driver’s shoulder).

We want everyone to give driving the respect it deserves, says Corporal McLaughlin. You are much more likely to avoid a ticket and the physical and emotional consequences of a crash.