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.

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