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More Dangerous To Drivers: Pets Or Cell Phones?
Author : George Murphy
According a new study conducted by AAA, pets could be as large of a disturbance to drivers as mobile phone usage is. With all the new laws prohibiting driving while texting or speaking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, it begs the question: will unrestrained pets riding in vehicles soon be illegal?
The AAA study found that 80 per cent of dog owners admitted to bringing them along for rides in their vehicle, but less than 25 per cent of those drivers kept their pets restrained. As many as eight states, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington, have laws on record requiring drivers to secure their pets, but only if the pet is in an open area of the vehicle (i.e., the back of a pickup truck).
The common thread with these laws is that they all exclude the cabin of the vehicle, where the driver and pet share a common space. Currently, the laws on record are intended to safeguard the pets, not the driver of the vehicle, the drivers of surrounding vehicles, or either of their passengers. As proof of this point, here is an excerpt from Connecticut's "Laws on Securing Animals Being Transported in a Vehicle" that states the law's intention as to "prevent [the animal] from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the truck." The maximum fine for this offense is $50.
The reason many pundits feel that new laws are around the corner is the distraction level these unsecured pets provide. The same AAA study found that 31% of dog owners admitted that their dogs are a distraction on the highway. Even more, 59% admitted that their dog had been a distraction at least once previously. And this distraction in not entirely the pet's fault: 50% of drivers said they pet their dogs while driving, 20% drive with their dogs in their lap, 7% say they feed their dog while driving, and 5% cop to playing with their dog while behind the wheel.
It is not only driver distraction that lawmakers fear. The injuries an unrestrained pet could impart is typically much worse then the general public believes. AAA reports that even a 10-pound dog can exert 500 pounds of pressure if it is loose in a 50 mph crash. That force of impact is for a small dog; more disconcerting is the force of impact a much larger dog could bring about in a car crash. Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England senior vice president of public and government affairs, claims that, "...an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure. "
An upcoming vote in Alabama could usher in a new era of driving with pet laws, as a town there looks to pass an ordinance banning interaction with pets while driving. A similar bill was vetoed in California back in 2008 notes a local California personal injury attorney.
No matter what laws are passed regarding pets and driving, Lloyd P. Albert wants you to consider your pet's impact on those around it. "Restraining your pet when driving can not only help protect your pet, but you and other passengers in your vehicle as well," Albert says, "Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and to anyone in its path."
Author's Resource Box
Steinberg & Spencer Injury Lawyers have been assisting injury victims and their families in Southern California since 1982. Speak with a California personal injury attorney or a California brain injury attorney to discuss the details of your case.
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Tags: Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident attorney, Riverside Motorcycle Accident attorney, California Brain Injury Attorney, Los Angeles Brain Injury Attorney, Southern California Car Accident attorney, Santa Monica Bicycle Accident attorney, San Bernardino Truck A
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Submitted : 2010-08-31 Word Count : 1 Popularity: 162 Times Viewed: 10
