Dogs are distracting drivers in the US

I saw a report on TV tonight about dogs riding in cars. It appears that there are people are not restraining their dogs properly in the car that they are interfering with the driver and causing accidents.

I know a couple of people who ride with their dog in the front seat. One, who has a small dog, rides with him on her lap. One of her hands is usually on the dog.

Misha rides in her crate most of the time. The only time she rides outside her crate is if we have a problem with seating room. She is never near the driver though. She's always on leash in case she needs to be pulled back.

What do you think about this? Do you think some accidents are caused by dogs getting in the driver's way?

 

I personally don't think owners should be allowed to have their dogs sit on their laps as dogs can be unpredictable and if an owner is distracted, yes accidents can occur.

In saying this my own mother was guilty of letting one of dogs sit on her lap when she drove. i'm thankful we were never involved in a accident as a result.

 

I definitely would say that dogs should be kept from the driver's seat and restrained from interfering with the driving. I would put that into the same category as keeping children from the driver's seat and having them properly strapped in so as not to interfere with the driving. I am saying this because I have seen more children than dogs sitting on the laps of drivers while driving.

 

Better to let their dogs seat in the back seat or in a place where they cannot disturb the driver. It is safer for both of them or for all the passengers.

 

It seems that it could be dangerous for the dog, too. What happens if there is an accident and the air bag deploys? I think that could be a very dangerous and potentially life threatening situation for a dog. I would think that if a dog is a certain size they could be hurt by the deployment of the air bag. Then, there are other dangerous things they could fall into even if the driving steps on the breaks quickly but doesn't hit anything.

 

I do believe dogs can contribute to road crashes. From my experience of Mishka's behaviour and being such a large dog who tries to get into the front of our moving car, I've decided on that dog restraining harness.

 

Yes, it comes to an extent that their rib cages get crushed because airbags were meant to protect people from impact. They were not meant for dogs.

I think if dogs were to be placed on the front seat, they should at least be given special car buckle harness. I've seen some sold especially for dogs. They protect the dogs from moving to the driver's area.

 

That's a useful device. Now, do they have a similar model for little kids? Little kids also need to be restrained when they are inside cars.

 

Here's a baby seat used on an adorable Yorkie. I think kids should use this one because they're comfortable and reliable.

 

Yes, that's good. For a baby. For a dog, not so good. I don't think it will hold a dog safely in case of emergency braking.

 

He looks cute in that car seat, but he doesn't actually look restrained in any way. It looks like the shoulder straps are actually behind him instead of across his chest like they would be on a toddler.

 

Now that you mentioned it, yes, he doesn't really look like he's restrained in any way. Good for a fancy photoshoot but useless in a real situation. He would be in the driver's lap in next to no time. Or worse. Have his head sticking out of the window. With his paws on the window sill. And jumping up and down, now and then.