Man’s Best Friend Or Driving Distraction?

Dogs are known as man’s best friend. But if they are our best friends why do we allow them to be driven around unrestrained? Paws to Click has stated that 98 percent of dogs travel unrestrained in moving vehicles.

Pennsylvania residents love their pets, but when those pets are loose in a car they can easily distract a driver and contribute to a car accident. Some dogs may chew on the upholstery. Others may get carsick and vomit in the car creating a mess. Many dogs also like to stick their heads out the window, which puts them at risk of falling out of the vehicle or getting struck by debris on the road. All of these distractions place the driver, pet, and others on the road at risk of being involved in a deadly accident.

Pets that are driven around unrestrained pose a serious risk. In fact, unrestrained pets cause over 30,000 car accidents each year. Many of which result in serious injury or death to both the driver and pet.

The best thing you can do if you are a pet owner is to buy a restraining device for your pet. These “doggy seatbelts” are inexpensive and may save the life of you and your pet. You wouldn’t let your best friend drive around without a seatbelt, so don’t let your pet do so either. Treat man’s best friend as a true friend and have him or her properly restrained before driving.