Drivers divided on whether Fido should run free in the car
Reprints
Could doggy car seats in cars be the next leash in terms of laws requiring them?
That was the focus of a recent survey commissioned by Erie Insurance and conducted online by The Harris Poll, which documented that 92% of dog owners with a driver’s license take their dogs in the car with them, and that 50% of them oppose any legislation that would force their pooches into restraint systems.
An unrestrained dog — deemed a distraction with all the jumping, barking and licking — are not only a danger to drivers but to themselves: according to the advocacy group Bark Buckle Up, an unrestrained 60-pound dog can turn into a 2,700-pound projectile in a 35-mph car crash when you apply mechanical force calculations, as Erie reported.
The issue has some states thinking a dog on the loose in a car is not such a good idea. So far only Hawaii, New Jersey and Rhode Island have passed legislation that specifically mandates dog restraints. However, Erie reported that more states are starting to apply general distracted driving standards to situations with unrestrained dogs and citing drivers whose dog’s behavior is considered disruptive.
