# Dog on driver's lap + airbag deploys = what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-on-drivers-lap-airbag-deploys-what/682574>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 1, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-on-drivers-lap-airbag-deploys-what/682574 "2014-03-01T03:22:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-on-drivers-lap-airbag-deploys-what/682574/21 "2014-03-06T05:43:33Z")

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Where I live in Melbourne Australia, if you are caught driving with a dog on your lap, you pay a big fine.

> [@](#):
>
> The legislation, which stipulates that motorists must not drive a vehicle with an animal on their lap or preventing them from having proper control of the car, carries a penalty of three demerit points and $338, rising to $422 in a school zone.

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**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-on-drivers-lap-airbag-deploys-what/682574/22 "2014-03-06T15:36:26Z")

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> [@Kenm](#):
>
> …estimates are 202 million to 240 million licensed drivers in the United States…means 404 million people or passengers occupying the front seats — one in five …

Granted it’s morning and I’m only halfway through my coffee, but I must be missing something because that math makes no sense to me. How in heck is 404 million equal to 20% of 202 million, and not the more obvious 2 times 202 million?

By my math, 20% of 202 million is 40 million and change, not 400 million and change.

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