Dangers of Driving With Pets

The risk of accident for drivers who drive frequently with their pets is higher than that of drivers who never drive with a pet. The crash rates for drivers who rarely drove with their pets were consistent with rates for non-pet owners.

Driving with pets is dangerous because pets can be distracting. There are very few states with laws regarding driving with pets. Hawaii is the only state that bans drivers from driving with a pet in their lap. A few states have laws regarding distracting behavior in a vehicle. These laws can be applied to distracting animalsin a vehicle.

The researchers believe that senior drivers are more likely to be distracted because they tend to have slower cognitive performance. Senior drivers also have slower response times. The added distraction of an active animal makes driving with pets especially dangerous for pets.

Pet restraints can minimize distraction from animals in a car. Unfortunately, very few people use pet restraints. In the study, only 16 percent used any type of safety restraint. 83 percent of the participants agreed that it was unsafe for pets to be unrestrained in a moving vehicle.

You should use a safety harness or a secured carrier. Scared dogs are very unpredictable. Your scared dog might come running into your lap or even under your feet. If you are a car accident, an unsecured dog will be projected from his seat. You can find pet harnesses at pet retail stores. It helps to make sure your best dog friend is used to the harness before using it in a car.

Here are some safety tips for traveling with pets

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