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Should dogs be allowed to ride in cars?
Results so far:
| Yes | 92% | 391 votes | Total: 424 votes | |
| No | 8% | 33 votes |
Yes
by Jessica Novak
Created on: September 08, 2010
If you are a responsible dog owner, that means you take your dog to the vet, to a groomer, pet stores, and sometimes to a boarding or training facility. With the invention of the dog crate and the seat belt harness, taking your dog for a drive is easy and safe. However, allowing a dog free reign of your vehicle is not only dangerous to you and the dog, but also dangerous to society. Many dogs found on the road originally came from the truck beds of oblivious owners. Dogs should be allowed to ride in cars provided that they have equal protection as other members of the family.
Biggest danger: the front seat
If a dog is allowed to sit in the front seat with no physical restraints, they may distract the driver by trying to crawl into the driver's lap, delve under their feet, or lean over and lick the driver's face. A dog's car freedom is not worth the potential car accident. The other concern is the dog's own safety. In every car there is a warning sticker that tells parents not to put their children in the front seat. The airbag could cause "serious injury or death" due to the speed at which the airbag deploys from it's compartment. If a 28 pound toddler is not allowed in the front seat, neither should a 5 pound Pomeranian.
Safe Restraints
While a crate is probably the safest type of physical restraint, dog booster seats and dog seat belt harnesses allow the dog some freedom while still being a much safer alternative to free roaming in the car. Although shutting the door on your dog's leash may prevent your dog from harassing the driver, it is not a safe alternative to a crate or harness because if the car were to stop suddenly, the dog would be violently jerked around the neck by their collar. If a harness is not specifically made to be a car harness, injury may still occur including dislocated shoulders, fractured ribs, and other serious injuries. There are dog seat belt harnesses available for around $30 at Petsmart, Petco and other pet stores.
Many safety factors should be considered when deciding if you should bring your pet with you on a drive. However, if you safely contain your dog, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to ride in the car.
Learn more about this author, Jessica Novak.
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No
by Eileen Bailey
Created on: October 02, 2009
First of all, in no shape or form should dogs be allowed to DRIVE in cars. Driving a vehicle is a purely human act and should not be allowed to animals who are incapable of knowing all of our laws and regulations. Plus, the physical structure of most dogs would either cause them to not be able to reach the pedal or to be put into too awkward of a position to drive. I doubt many people would advocate for dogs actually driving the vehicle.
As for riding in cars, that is a stickier issue. For some drivers, it is great to have a companion with them. However, this comfort comes with costs. The main problem with having dogs in a car is that they are a distraction.
Many dogs have an inability to stay still for a long period of time. This is the biggest problem with having them in cars. If a dog is wandering in a car, it is very possible that they will cause an obstruction to the person driving. This could include blocking the view of the driver, causing them to be unable to judge the safety of their situation (especially when lane-changing), and could also result from the dog moving in a way that is distracting. An example of the latter would be the dog trying to climb onto the driver's lap or getting their paws on something they aren't supposed to be messing with.
Some dog owners are convinced that their dogs can be well-behaved no matter what. This is great. However, we can't cater the law to a certain group of people. For every dog that can behave well in a car, there will be a bunch that cannot. This would be impossible or at least extremely difficult to test, so there is no way of knowing which dogs may or may not be safe to drive with.
Even with well-behaved dogs, they are still distracting. If they weren't, and you were able to completely ignore their existence, why would you bring them in the first place? If you're driving them to the park, just walk them there. It will be healthier for you and the dog.
I know that some dog owners are really attached to their pets, but needing to drive around with them everywhere is a bit much. If you want a companion, bring a friend who can understand the danger of distracting a driver from the road. It is unfortunate that those dogs who can behave would not be able to ride in a car, but there's no way to provide an exception for them when we can't determine which dogs are or are not safe to drive with. The truth is, the majority of dogs have a good chance of distracting the driver and instigating a car accident. Driving already is a dangerous activity; there is no need to further reduce road safety by introducing external interferences.
Learn more about this author, Eileen Bailey.
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