lappiemum Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 (edited) from today's Age online http://www.theage.co...0419-1x89q.html Lap dog lands suspended driver in trouble Megan Levy April 19, 2012 - 7:10AM This could prove to be one very expensive lap dog. A suspended driver who was caught driving with an unrestrained puppy on his lap in Melbourne's inner east yesterday is expected to be charged by police. The 31-year-old man was driving along Hoddle Street in Collingwood when he was pulled over by officers taking part in Operation Knockdown, targeting speed, mobile phone use and seat belt offences in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers who pulled the Doreen man over found a 12-week-old puppy sitting in the man's lap. The animal was not restrained. A licence check also revealed the man was a suspended driver, the spokeswoman said. The driver is expected to be charged on summons with various traffic offences, including driving with an animal on his lap. As part of Operation Knockdown, police also detected 42 drivers using mobile phones on Swan Street, Richmond and nabbed 16 speeding motorists in school zones in Fitzroy. Read more: http://www.theage.co...l#ixzz1sQxOTn9a Edited April 18, 2012 by lappiemum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WExtremeG Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Well there you go...I never knew that animals had to be restrained- although mine always is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arcane Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 yes, a lot of people think it is law in SA because several years ago there was a big media hoohaa about the new laws, but they were never actually pushed through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarsHollow Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 (edited) Yep its the law, animals must be restrained..in vic that i know of i worked at a pound and most people were unaware of the law, we were trained to inform these people of the laws, most complied, but i even had one guy try to put his staffy in the boot !!! He was " politely " Hmmmmm told he couldnt do that....some people !! Edited April 19, 2012 by StarsHollow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Avanti* Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Yep its the law, animals must be restrained..in vic that i know of i worked at a pound and most people were unaware of the law, we were trained to inform these people of the laws, most complied, but i even had one guy try to put his staffy in the boot !!! He was " politely " Hmmmmm told he couldnt do that....some people !! I was looking at the VicRoads site and can't find specific details on this except 'You must not drive if there is an animal on your lap.' http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/SafetyAndRules/RoadRules/Animals.htm If it is law in Vic does anyone know what meets the requirements to have a dog 'restrained'. Thanks in advance for any replies. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris the Rebel Wolf Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Here in Qld for the past two months I have been selling heaps of harnesses and seat belt clip-in leads to customers who are telling me the police have fined/warned them about unrestrained animals in their cars, but when I looked up QLD laws I could only find this: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/55129622-af3a-4d89-bad1-ec23cd1302da/pdf_road_rules_qanda_290909.pdf Question: What is the new rule regarding carrying animals? If you carry an animal on your lap while driving a car, or on the petrol tank of your motorcycle, you risk being fined $233. Question: How should I carry my animal in my vehicle? So long as the animal is not in your lap (or sitting on the petrol tank of your motorcycle) and not affecting your control of the vehicle, there are no rules prohibiting how you should carry your animal. It is advised however, that you securely restrain your animal using either a restraint or house the animal in a suitable cage or container Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavamum Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Mummy hooks or dog hooks (whatever you want to call them) are great. Some of the car harnesses are bulky. With the hook they wear their normal harness, and you just hook the hook clasp thing around the seatbelt and through the metal loop on the harness and close it. Or you can get the attachment that hooks onto the harness and clicks into the seatbelt buckle thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 no in Vic your animals must be in some way restrained and NOT sitting on the drivers laps. Its because of how many people get distracted. Frankly for your animals safety they should be anyway, one quick brake and a flying med-large breed dog flying into you or your dashboard is not a nice thing for any owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keetamouse Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I have a lady in the ajoining townhouses and she has her very fat Jack on her lap, I have rung the police twice and all they say is "are you willing to go to court to say you have seen her doing it" I said yes and have heard nothing back. I thought they would, at the least, speak to her to say that some people have seen her with him on her lap, but obviously they haven't. I have told her many times that it is illegal (I'm in Queanbeyan NSW) she says that she is only going to the shops and he loves sitting on my lap (this is from a 65 year old woman). I respond by saying that it ain't much fun when the dog is squashed and probably killed against her air bag when she has to stop suddenly. She said that won't happen because I am only going to the shops, what, she doesn't think it will happen or it will only happen on the highway Maree CPR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckoTree Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I think they changed those traffic laws in Vic last year, not surprising many are being caught out. many just don't know, but as they say 'whoever they are' ignorance is no excuse of the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckoTree Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) Here in Qld for the past two months I have been selling heaps of harnesses and seat belt clip-in leads to customers who are telling me the police have fined/warned them about unrestrained animals in their cars, but when I looked up QLD laws I could only find this: http://www.tmr.qld.g...anda_290909.pdf Question: What is the new rule regarding carrying animals? If you carry an animal on your lap while driving a car, or on the petrol tank of your motorcycle, you risk being fined $233. Question: How should I carry my animal in my vehicle? So long as the animal is not in your lap (or sitting on the petrol tank of your motorcycle) and not affecting your control of the vehicle, there are no rules prohibiting how you should carry your animal. It is advised however, that you securely restrain your animal using either a restraint or house the animal in a suitable cage or container Thats the facts in qld Chris. And unless someone is convicted, or pays in admission of guilt of an actual law, all fines are invalid, that's the law. I wish people just understood how it works. I can't count the times I have shut my trap and just pointed to the car black box recorder, then everything goes silent. Edited April 23, 2012 by GeckoTree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 There is no rule in victoria that says a dog must be restrained. It is just that you are not to have a dog on the lap of a driver. Quote from Vic Roads Laws "Driving or riding with animals You must not drive if there is an animal on your lap. If you are a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle you must not lead an animal, including by tethering the animal to the motor vehicle or bicycle." The police cannot charge you - it is just one of those things that sometimes officers can misinterpret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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