States Cracking Down On Dogs Behind The Wheel.

                         

Danger for pets on the road

If it's any indication of the danger free-roaming pets face in a vehicle, New Hampshire, the country's only state that does not have a mandatory seat belt law, actually requires dogs to buckle up.

Live free or die, goes the state's motto, but Spike and Spot don't have that liberty. And with due reason. Seven other states, Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Rhode Island require owners to kennel or tether animals because of the severe danger the sudden stops and potential collisions pose to pets. An unrestrained dog can land you with a ticket between $50 and $200.

Animal lovers would almost always rather take their pet with them to run errands or on a road trip than leave them at home or at a pet motel. But for all that love for canines, most drivers have seen "dog people" take things too far, driving with their dogs in their laps or lying around their shoulders like a neck pillow and, yes, sometimes at the wheel.

And it's a double dose of danger: for the distracted driver and the unrestrained animal.

"If you make a sudden stop, your dog can be thrown through the windshield," said Loretta Worters, spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "He could also be thrown to the floor and interfere with access to gas and brake pedals."

The epidemic is so high that some insurance companies like Progressive and State Farm are offering collision coverage for customers' dogs or cats at no additional premium cost. The insurance will pay up to $1,000 if a customer's dog or cat suffers injury or death.

Even a few innocent doggie licks can be like sending a text message, removing your attention from the task at hand.

"If you get into an accident, an unrestrained pet is launched forward like a missile, through the windshield and outside the car," said Dr. Kat Miller, Director of Applied Science and Research for the ASPCA. "If he survives he'll make a run for it, out of fear and pain."

Traveling while holding them in your lap isn't any safer.  If the car has airbags and the pet is in the front seat, he will be crushed by the airbag when it deploys, and he will also crush your own chest if he's still on your lap between you and the airbag. According to BarkBuckleUp.com, when driving 35 mph, a 60-pound unrestrained dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, windshield or passenger.

An injured or scared pet may bite someone trying to help.

Perhaps the most distressing for dog lovers is the familiar southern sight of dogs riding in the back of an open pick-up going down the highway at 60, 70, 80 miles per hour. It boils down to simple logic: driving with a dog loose in the car is not smart.

Source: AOL Autos