Drivers, Dogs, and Distractions

Dog lovers, beware!  Taking man’s best friend for a ride could be risky.

I blog often about driving distractions, citing talking on a cell phone and texting as dangerous as driving under the influence, but a AAA study indicated that unrestrained dog in the car could be just as lethal as texting and driving.

According to AAA, an unrestrained 10-pound dog in an auto accident at 50 mph will exert 500 pounds of force on whatever it strikes; an 80-pound dog in an accident at just 30 mph will exert about 2,400 pounds. Unrestrained dogs can prove distracting by hanging out the window, climbing onto the driver’s lap, getting between the driver and the steering wheel interfering with the ability to steer, or crawling between the brake or gas pedal, not to mention blocking the view of the road or mirrors.  Despite these risks, two-thirds of dog owners surveyed said they routinely pet, play and feed their dogs while driving.

Despite thousands of auto accidents believed to be caused by unrestrained pets, people still don’t recognize the dangers.  For the safety of you and your pet, it is important that dogs remain in the back seat in a harness or carrier.

Mark Bello has thirty-six years experience as a trial lawyer and fourteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice, Public Citizen, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.