Not Buckling Up Your Dog In New Jersey Could Cost You $1,000 In Traffic Tickets

A new law passed in New Jersey stating if you don't have your dog buckled in it could cost you up to $1,000 in traffic tickets. Wait, what?

(Yahoo News)

The New Jersey law appears to be the only one of its kind in the nation that explicitly requires restraining a dog or cat at all times while in a moving vehicle. A few other states have passed laws barring animals from riding in the back of pickup trucks, and three states bar drivers from letting pets ride on their laps, citing the potential for driver distraction.

Officers from the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can monitor for infractions during traffic stops or seat-belt campaigns, and issue tickets with fines ranging from $250 up to $1,000 for each unrestrained animal in a vehicle. Under the 16-year-old law, letting a pet ride unrestrained amounts to animal cruelty if the driver gets into a crash.

[via Buckling up your dog or cat next frontier in safety, $1,000 traffic tickets | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos.]