A recent posting about how driving with a pet on your lap is legal in California. Now a recent national AAA survey of dog owners finds how common driving with dogs is.
Most of those surveyed said they routinely drive while petting or playing with their dogs, sometimes even giving them food or water, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
AAA officials said having unrestrained pets inside cars pose a major distraction for drivers and its dangerous for both drivers and pets.
An 80-pound dog unrestrained during a crash at 30 mph exerts 2,400 pounds of force in a vehicle, creating a danger for the dog and anyone in its path, the Tribune reported, citing information from Motivation Design LLC, a company that manufactures pet travel products, including restraint systems for pets, under the brand name Kurgo.
“As about 40 percent of Americans own dogs. We see this as an increasingly big problem,” Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, told the Tribune.
Dogs inside wrecked vehicles often become territorial and protective of their owners when police and emergency-responders try to rescue
injured occupants, sometimes leaving authorities no other option than to shoot the animal in order to help the driver and passengers, Illinois State Police said.
State Police Sgt. Brian Copple said most drivers don’t realize that a dog moving around a vehicle or sitting on someone’s lap can injure or kill occupants during a crash, particularly if air bags deploy.
“If the animal is sitting between the steering wheel and the driver, the air bag will throw the animal back at you with great force,” Copple told the Trib.
In the AAA survey, 55 percent of drivers polled said they have pet their dog while driving, and 21 percent said they held the dog in their lap. Seven percent said they have given food and water to their dog while driving, and 5 percent said they have played with their dog while behind the steering wheel.
Such behaviors are relevant because looking away from the road for only two seconds doubles the risk of being in a crash, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
While 80 percent of poll respondents said they take their dogs on a variety of car trips, only 17 percent said they use a pet-restraint systems.
If you want to read my earlier story about being legal to drive with a pet on your lap, CLICK HERE.
If you want to read the full Chicago Tribune story, CLICK HERE.
