MAY 2025 Colorado Transit Report. Author and Reporter Shannon Lukens.
The summer season is upon us, which means easier driving for all on our mountain roads. Enjoy the views and keep an eye out for wildlife as you wander your way through the Rocky Mountains.
Colorado State Patrol is sending a summer reminder about the dangers of riding in a vehicle with an unrestrained pet, saying a free-roaming pet can become “a deadly projectile during a crash or sudden stop.”
Use a crate or carrier anchored to the vehicle. Leave the front seat for humans. Keep heads inside.
Any activity, like petting your dog or reaching back to provide a treat for your cat, takes a driver’s attention away from driving. This is considered Distracted Driving.
There isn’t a specific law about driving with your pet on your lap, but if it obstructs your view or impacts driving, you could get pulled over.
The State of Colorado, like most states, doesn’t have an explicit law that states you must restrain your pet in a vehicle or that you are prohibited from driving with a pet in your lap. However, if your pet is obstructing your view or if you exhibit driving behaviors that would be covered under the ‘careless driving statute,” law enforcement can pull you over.
And never leave your pet alone in a car, especially as temperatures start to warm. Heat is a serious hazard, and even 70-degree temperatures can heat your car to over 100 degrees in less than an hour. And another hazard is the possibility of someone stealing your pet while you’re away.