Just who's driving this rig?
Is petting your dog in the car as dangerous as texting on a cell phone? That might be a little tricky to answer. However, AAA and Kurgo have just released results of a study showing the risky behaviors some of us engage in with our pets while driving.
I’m chagrinned to admit that I’m one of the 20 percent who occasionally drives with my dog in my lap. I know better. I teach pet safety in my pet first aid classes. That 12 pounds of fluff could become a lethal missile in a crash. He would certainly not survive, and I might not either.
The highlights of AAA’s study show that nearly 60 percent of people who take their dog in the car with them have engaged in distracting behavior with their pet while driving. More than half pet their dog while driving, and 20 percent hold the dog in their lap. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that looking away for only two seconds doubles our chances of being in a wreck.
Of the 80 percent of pet owners who take their dog along in the car, only 17 percent use any kind of restraint. “Restraining your pet when driving can not only help protect your pet, but you and other passengers in your vehicle as well,” cautioned Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, AAA National, Traffic Safety Programs manager. She went on to say, “An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph will exert roughly 500 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure. Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and anyone in the vehicle in its path.”
The easy solution is to use a restraint when you take the dog along. I carry a crate in the back of my Prius for those trips when I’m more safety conscious. You can buy harnesses to hold the dog in place in case of an impact. A few sources of seatbelts and car restraints for dogs include Ruffrider.com, OhMyDogSupplies.com, PetSafetyBelts.com, and many retail pet suppliers.
So whether you’ve taken Oprah’s No Phone Zone pledge or not, it looks like it’s time to get serious and take the No Dog Zone pledge while driving! Anybody out there willing?
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