No Lap Dogs While Driving In Rhode Island, We Brew Other Ways To Drive With Your Dog

Lawmakers in Rhode Island want drivers to keep man's best friend off their laps when they are driving.  Under Rhode Island State Representative Peter Palumbo's plan, drivers with Fido on their lap will receive an $85 ticket.  Palumbo says he loves dogs, but he puts safety above pets.

However, as we joked about on 710 KEEL Morning News this morning, it is possible to be a lap person while your dog drives, as a New Zealand driving school in December trained dogs to drive.  Not that we recommend doing it.  Here's some video proof that dogs can drive:

Organizers used a Mini Countryman with a manual transmission with some modifications making it easier for the dogs to control the vehicle.  There are paddles to each side of the steering wheel that the dog leans on to engage the accelerator or the brake, while the dog has complete control of the steering wheel.

I haven't tried this with any of my dogs, nor have I ever tried being a "lap person" (and I don't recommend try to be one either, but I am sure there are moments when you are driving and you wished you had someone to drive for you so you could nap or even send that extremely important text message to your BFF.  I'm curious what others think about people wanting to spend quality time with their canines in the car.