Many pet owners drive with their pets for companionship and comfort. Nonetheless, pets can be distracting to a driver. A significant percentage of distracted driving accidents involve a driver with an unrestrained pet.
Here is how a driver with a pet can endanger you:
Interacting with their pet
Drivers who interact with pets are distracted. For instance, when they pet them, give them treats or talk to them, these drivers may be manually, visually and cognitively distracted.
When a driver takes their hand off the wheel to give their pet food, they have less control of their car. If a sudden event happens, such as the car ahead braking or a pedestrian entering the road, they may be unable to steer effectively to avoid the hazard.
A driver may also take their eyes off the road when interacting with a pet. For example, when feeding them or trying to get them from the driver’s footwell. In the few seconds the driver is not looking at the road, they may fail to see brake lights or a road signal, increasing the chances of an accident occurring.
Furthermore, the mental focus required to attend to a pet can take a driver’s mind away from the task of driving. Continuously checking on a pet that’s moving around the car or calming down a distressed/excited pet can make it impossible for a driver to effectively monitor what’s happening around them.
What should drivers with pets do?
A driver moving around with a pet should use proper restraints to keep them secure in the back seat, give them a toy to keep them busy and maintain a comfortable temperature.
If a pet owner failed to observe safety measures when driving with their pet, resulting in an accident that injured you, get more information about your case to protect your rights.