Why it's dumb to drive with the dog
abc
Keep them safe in a crate, behind a divider or secured with a pet
seatbelt
March 5, 2010
Five dogs were in a car involved in a single vehicle rollover at
Storage-Mart on June 11, 2009. The car with Arizona plates hit a
perimeter gate and then struck a wooden step structure and flipped
over. EMS treated a women at the scene but did not transport her to
hospital.
Our family has three dogs. Two of the dogs stay at home and are the
beloved companions for my husband and children.
The other dog, Police Dog Hondo, is my partner, comes with me
everywhere and is the official guardian of my family's well-being.
Regardless of their standing within our family, we treat all three dogs
with love and respect. Although each weighs more than 20 kilograms, all
would consider themselves lapdogs when it comes time to vie for our
attention.
Which brings me to this point -- even if they were lapdogs, none of
them would ever experience the "luxury" of travelling on my lap if I
were behind the wheel of my car.
A dog, even a teeny-tiny little one, has no business sitting on its
owner's lap as he or she pilots a vehicle through the streets of the
Lower Mainland. Not only is such behaviour dangerous, it could be
considered illegal if the dog was the contributing factor in the
owner/driver being involved in a collision. Section 144 of the B.C.
Motor Vehicle Act reads as follows:
144 (1) A person must not drive a motor vehicle on a highway
(a) without due care and attention
(b) without reasonable consideration for other persons using the
highway, or
(c) at a speed that is excessive relative to the road, traffic,
visibility or weather conditions
Let me translate -- if you are driving and the bichon frise that was so
quietly snoozing on your lap suddenly jumps up and jams itself into
your steering wheel causing you to lose control of your car, you are
responsible for the resulting crash, as you were clearly not driving
with due care and attention. Or, if your cute chihuahua slides down and
gets wedged under the brake pedal preventing you from stopping at a
light or a stop sign, again, you are at fault as you did not have
reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway. Having a
dog in your lap restricts the movement of your arms and upper body,
which has a direct effect on your ability to control and steer your
car.
Besides that, I'm sure neither dog would be too happy about being
turned into an impromptu furry airbag or being stomped on as you
frantically try to stop the forward motion of your car.
When travelling with your beloved canine, please secure them properly.
And no, the wonderfully warm, sunny spot on the rear dash does not
count. If you were to brake hard, whatever is loose on the rear mount
of car comes forward with a vengeance. It would hurt enough to be
nailed in the back of the head with a box of Kleenex, let alone a five
-kilogram Yorkie.
Invest in a kennel or crate, a doggie seatbelt if you must, or a pet
divider if you have an SUV style vehicle -- anything to keep your pet
from becoming a projectile during a collision.
By protecting your pet, you are protecting not only your own safety and
the safety of your pet, but also the emotional investment one makes in
an animal companion.