Study: Driving with unrestrained pets pose danger

CHICAGO - Safety experts have a new pet peeve related to distracted driving.

In addition to texting or using a cell phone while driving, lap dogs left unrestrained inside moving vehicles pose a major distraction that could be deadly, a new study released yesterday warns motorists.

About two-thirds of dog owners surveyed by AAA said they routinely pet or play with their dogs while driving, sometimes giving them food or water while maneuvering through traffic.

It has been a common sight for many years to see dogs hanging their heads out of open car windows with their ears flapping in the breeze. But in the cocoon that the automobile has become, more drivers are nonchalantly cradling their dogs atop their laps or perching them on their chests with the pet's front paws clutching the driver's neck or shoulders.

It's risky behavior for the driver and dangerous for the pets, too. An 80-pound dog unrestrained during a crash at 30 mph exerts 2,400 pounds of force in a vehicle, creating a danger for the dog and anyone in its path, according to Motivation Design LLC, a manufacturer of restraint systems for pets.

"As about 40 percent of Americans own dogs, we see this as an increasingly big problem," said Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Most drivers don't realize that a dog moving around a vehicle or sitting on a lap can injure or kill occupants during a crash, particularly if air bags deploy, Sgt. Brian Copple said. "An air bag is designed to catch a 160-pound person. It's not meant to protect Fluffy," he said.