Here is an excerpt from a US News item I had on my homepage today:
DO PETS POISE ANOTHER THREAT TO SAFE DRIVING?
By SUE MANNING Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Man's best friend is not a driver's best friend.
While lawmakers have been banning drivers from texting or using cell phones, many motorists are riding around with another dangerous risk — their dogs.
Experts say an unrestrained dog — whether curled up on a lap, hanging out the window or resting its paws on the steering wheel — can be deadly. Tens of thousands of car accidents are believed caused every year by unrestrained pets, though no one has solid numbers.
"An unrestrained pet can be hugely distracting — if he is seeking your attention, putting his face right in front of yours, starts chewing up the upholstery or is vomiting because he is carsick," said Katherine Miller, director of applied science and research for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The issue is drawing attention in some statehouses. Hawaii is the only state that specifically forbids drivers from operating a vehicle with a pet on their lap. But Oregon lawmakers are considering fining drivers who hold their pets behind the wheel. And some cities are taking action, too.
In 2009, 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 injured in crashes caused by distracted drivers in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cell phones were the top distraction — the cause of 18 percent of the fatalities and 5 percent of the injury crashes. The agency does not track accidents caused by pets, but said they are counted among other distractions such as disruptive passengers, misbehaving children or drivers who attempt to put on makeup or read."
To read the rest of the article you can find it here:
Do pets pose another threat to safe driving? - Mediacom
I occasionally let my dogs ride in my lap and KNOW I should not. It is much safer when I use one of my many carriers or their car seat. They really don't mind either. I am going to make a concentrated effort to
ALWAYS use one of the carriers or my car seat for them. Safer for them and safer for the rest of the people on the road too. I sometimes have made the mental excuse that I am just running down the road a bit, quick trip and want to hold them. But since most accidents happen close to home, that is not a good excuse! I would never forgive myself if having one of them on my lap caused an accident that hurt them or others. It is too easy to prevent and I won't take any more chances! I make such a big deal about not using cell phones while driving unless you have a hands free system in use, I need to be just as serious about not driving with the pups loose in the car/on my lap.
Just thought I would put part of the news article on here as a reminder to all of us to be better about driving safely with our pets! If you need a good deal on a pet car seat, there are often amazing savings on CSN Stores in their clearance section. Usually half price! Ebay too has good deals so even the penny pinchers amongst us (like me) cn have a nice, safe car seat for our canine babies too.