Results: Should Distracted Driving Laws Apply to Your Dog?

A recent survey commissioned by Erie Insurance and conducted online by The Harris Poll documented that a vast majority of dog owners with a driver's license (92%) take their dogs in the car with them. If you have a dog, do you bring it in the car with you?

All that barking and jumping can be distracting. And if that distraction causes an accident, the consequences could be serious. According to the advocacy group Bark Buckle UP, an unrestrained 60-pound dog can turn into a 2700-pound projectile in a 35-mph car crash when you apply mechanical force calculations. Although the reality is that only a few states have passed legislation that specifically mandates dog restraints (Rhode Island, Hawaii and New Jersey), 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. Do you think there should be laws that dogs should be restrained in a car?

According to a study conducted by Volvo in 2019, drivers with unrestrained dogs were distracted more than 10% of the total driving time. If you have an unrestrained dog in your car, do you find you are distracted 10% of the time?