Pets and Distracted Driving


With the busy summer travel season right around the corner, many families are planning to hit the road with their families - and that of course, means their four-legged family members too. To ensure safe travels for everyone it's important to take heed of a very real pet travel safety issue - pets and distracted driving.

When we think of distracted driving, the typical "culprits" that come to mind include; texting, eating, applying makeup, chatting on the phone, or even daydreaming. However, we seldom consider that traveling with an unsecured pet is a very real and dangerous distraction.

AAA in conjunction with Kurgo conducted a survey of people who often drive with their pets. The survey showed that a whopping 64 percent of pet parents partake in unsafe distracted driving habits as they pertain to their pet. Additionally, 29 percent of respondents admitted to being distracted by their four-legged travel companions, yet 84 percent indicated that they do not secure their pet in their vehicle. According to the survey, drivers were letting their dogs roam in the car, putting them in their laps and giving them treats. Some drivers (three percent) even photographed their dogs while driving.

It's pretty easy to understand how an unsecured pet can be a distraction while driving. Some pets may become anxious or excited causing them to jump around or bark while in the vehicle. Additionally, a happy and loving pet may just want to be near you and crawl on your lap while driving.

Oftentimes, pets can be frightened and there is always an element of unpredictability with any animal. When looking for comfort, dogs and cats may naturally opt to be near you and add to the possible perils caused by these distractions.

Properly securing your pet in your vehicle is not only about alleviating this potential driving distraction that could cause an accident. It is also a proactive approach should there be an accident or sudden stop - even a fender bender can injure an unsecured pet. We wear seatbelts for our safety in case of an accident and should take the same care to secure our pets. A pet that is not restrained properly in a vehicle can be seriously harmed or even killed if thrown from a vehicle. Airbags can go off and injure a pet in your lap. In the event of an accident, frightened pets can easily escape from a vehicle and run off. Further, a pet that is not properly secured may not only be harmed but could also put others in danger through the shear force of any impact from an accident.

Ensuring your pet is safe while traveling in your vehicle means finding the pet safety restraint that is right for him. Options include pet seat belts, pet car seats, travel crates, and vehicle pet barriers. Planning to have the right pet safety restraint for your trip will not only keep you and your pet safe butalso offer you peace of mind and take one more distraction away.

About TripsWithPets.com

TripsWithPets.com is the premier online pet friendly travel guide -- providing online reservations at over 30,000 pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the U.S. and Canada. When planning a trip, pet parents go to TripsWithPets.com for detailed, up-to-date information on hotel pet policies and pet amenities. TripsWithPets.com also features airline & car rental pet policies, pet friendly activities, a user-friendly search-by-route option, as well as pet travel gear. For more information, please visit http://www.tripswithpets.com.

Pets also improve people's mental health.

In one Israeli study, scientists elevated participants' stress levels by telling them that they might have to hold a tarantula. Then, to calm the participants down, researchers gave them either toy rabbits, toy turtles, real rabbits, or real turtles. The toys did nothing to relieve stress. But petting both the hard shell of real turtles and the soft fur of real bunnies calmed participants.

A survey of veterinary school students produced similar results. Investigators asked students to report their stress levels on a scale from one to ten, as well as whether they had a pet at home. Six in ten people who did not own pets reported stress levels of eight or higher; only four in ten pet-owners said that they were similarly stressed.

Another review of 17 studies found that pets helped people with mental illnesses -- including post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

Some hospitals and schools are acting on this research. At Indiana University Health North Hospital, dogs wander the hallways and spend time with patients who request a visit. Virginia Commonwealth University offers therapy dogs to students during finals week.

All this research exemplifies the interconnection between human health, animal health, and the environment. That interconnection is the foundation of the One Health movement, to which a number of universities, including St. George's, adhere in their teaching and research efforts.

Pets are the perfect antidote to all sorts of ailments. It's time to unleash this knowledge across our healthcare system.

Satesh Bidaisee is a professor of public health and preventative medicine and assistant dean for graduate studies at St. George's University in Grenada. This op-ed first appeared in Fox News Opinion on www.FoxNews.com.

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