Dogs pose distracted driving danger for motorists; increase risk of Chicago car accident
Talk to almost any Illinois driver and they’ll admit to knowing that texting or eating while driving can lead to an Illinois car accident. Illinois is, after all, one of 32 states that has enacted a texting-while-driving ban. But do drivers understand how dangerous and distracting driving with an unrestrained pet can be?
According to a recent AAA/Kurgo survey, apparently not.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports nearly one-fifth of all car crashes involved distracted drivers, claiming nearly 6,000 lives and leaving 500,000 people injured each year.
But what about the dangers of driving with Fido? The AAA/Kurgo survey-takers interviewed 1000 drivers nationwide and found that nearly a third of those polled admitted to being distracted by their dog while on the road. And while 80 percent of respondents admitted to bringing their beloved pooches along for a ride, less than 20 percent said they use a pet harness to restrain their dog.
The degree of potentially accident-causing distraction that comes with taking your eyes off the road to pet, feed or play with your dog is just one part of the problem. In the event of a crash, your pet becomes an unrestrained missile regardless of size.
Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, the AAA National Traffic Safety Programs manager told AAA/Kurgo survey-takers that a 10-pound dog in a 50 mph crash exerts 500-pounds of pressure on impact with a stationary object (such as an injured, seatbelt-wearing, driver or passenger), while an 80-pound dog in a 30 mph collision will generate almost five times that amount of pressure, or about 2,400 pounds.
Not to mention that an injured or traumatized dog large or small is an unstable creature that poses both a potential threat and an impediment to themselves, rescue workers, other accident victims, other drivers and your passengers.
We all love our dogs. Turns out, leaving them at home might be the best option. If you want to take them to the park, taking safety into account should be job one.
If you are involved in an Illinois car accident, contact the Illinois injury attorneys at the VanPopering Law Offices for a free appointment to discuss your case. 1-800-767-4878.
