Dogs on Car window sills or on a Driver’s Lap: Not a Good Idea.
Several of our clients have received some Huge fines from the local police from the owner having their pet on their lap whilst driving. The Law dates back several years but it seems folks have forgotten so the police are busy fining. Aside from the serious health implications to your pet sitting on your lap when driving, the huge monetary hit to your back pocket from these fines is considerable. The Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) advises that police can fine a driver and issue demerit points if an animal is causing the driver to be not in full control of the vehicle, or if they are driving with a dog on their lap. The penalties are three demerit points and $425 (more in a school zone-and one suspects more on holiday weekends.).
Equally having your pet stick its head out any car window as you drive along might seem ‘cute’ and cooling but allowing this puts your pet’s sight at risk. As vets we see some really nasty eye injuries and loss of sight from pets who travel like this-often just from something as simple as the passing air wind blasting the delicate cornea/glass of the eye with loss of vision. One family took their very healthy dog on holiday-by the time it had reached Goulbourn most of the vision had been lost in one eye and severe damage done to the other eye. (Disclaimer; The dog and human in the photos attached 
are Actors illustrating the problem whilst safe in a stationary off-road vehicle).
