Should Pets Be Required to Wear a Seat Belt?
SodaHead Living
2012/06/11 19:39:13
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278 votes
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468 votes
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Hmm ... we've never really thought about this one before. Should owners have to buckle up their pets in the car, or face a hefty fine? In New Jersey, penalties for driving with an unrestrained pet range from $250 to $1,000 and as much as six months in jail, NorthJersey.com reports.
"That’s for each offense," Col. Frank Rizzo, police superintendent for the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told reporters. "So, if you have more than one animal loose in your car, just do the math…"
The New Jersey statute defines unrestrained pets in cars as animal cruelty. Some pet owners use small cages, but most buy seats and harnesses that attach directly to existing seat belts, NorthJersey.com reports. However, a 2010 survey conducted by the American Automobile Association showed that 20 percent of those polled allow their dogs to sit on their laps while they drive. And nearly one-third of the respondents admitted that unrestrained pets are distracting.
“Some people tell us they like to let their pets hang their heads out the window to take in the fresh air," Rizzo said, "but dogs and cats become projectiles in a crash." Do you think people should be forced to buckle up their pets?
“Some people tell us they like to let their pets hang their heads out the window to take in the fresh air," Rizzo said, "but dogs and cats become projectiles in a crash." Do you think people should be forced to buckle up their pets?
Top Opinion
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Yes
+19I tie my dog up in the passenger seat or the back seat cause she'll try and jump in my lap (this is no purse dog, this is a 65-70lbs adult black lab, who still thinks she's a puppy) She could obstruct my view! Very dangerous. And for the safety of the dog too, if in a car accident I'd hate to think of my poor girl to fly out the window and getting hurt worst!
My experience is that don't don't just "fall out" of the beds of pickups... They get interested in something and climb out... All dogs are stupid, some are just more so than others... Mine definitely are in the "more so" group... :)
We were driving the freeway in AZ a couple of months back when a pick up passed us with the tail gate down. In the back was a fairly large dog who was pacing from side to side and even coming to the back of the truck, looking as if he was thinking of jumping off. It made us very nervous and if the truck had made a sudden stop would we have had that large dog flying through our windshield. People are nuts sometimes.
Are there any laws you agree with or do they all fall under your, "Nanny State," bumper sticker idea?"
It is also a distraction to the driver