Here鈥檚 a pet peeve 鈥�
Traveling with a dog in the car can distract and stress out the driver.
A new study reveals that allowing pets to roam unrestrained in a moving vehicle leads to 鈥渟ignificantly more unsafe driving behaviors, more time distracted and increased stress鈥� on drivers and pets.
鈥淲hile pets roaming around the car can be cute and convenient, it poses serious risk for both drivers and their pets, both in terms of causing distractions and increasing the chances of serious injury in the event of an accident,鈥� said Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro of Cornell University Veterinary Specialists.
Although pets now are often 鈥渋ngrained鈥� as family members, many pet owners aren鈥檛 keeping their safety in mind when driving with them, according to Volvo Reports: Keeping Pets Safe on the Road.
Volvo and The Harris Poll, which conducted the survey on which the report was based, followed 15 drivers and their dogs for two hours each, a total of 30 hours on the road. They examined how driving with an unrestrained pet affected driving behaviors compared to when an owner used pet restraints, such as pet seat belts, harnesses, crates and carriers.
Here鈥檚 what the study found:
- Unsafe driving behaviors, including the pet climbing on a driver鈥檚 lap or hanging their head out the window, more than doubled to 649 instances while unrestrained to 274 while restrained.
- The time drivers were districted, including dogs jumping from seat to seat or taking drivers鈥� eyes off the road, more than doubled to three hours and 39 minutes from one hour, 39 minutes.
- Stress on both driver and pets increased, with heart rates rising for drivers and their pets. Unrestrained dogs鈥� heart rates measured seven beats per minutes faster, while drivers鈥� heart rates were 28 to 34 beats per minute higher.
鈥淯nfortunately, in my field, we see the potential devastating consequences regularly, many of which can be avoided simply by ensuring our animals are safely secured,鈥� said Mazzaferro.
The 15 pet owners in the observational study were selected from among 1,433 pet owners included in an online survey of 2,000 adults ages 18 and older.
This year鈥檚 survey, conducted in March, was a follow-up to last year鈥檚 report, in which drivers expressed anxiety about the safety of their pets when traveling.
Among those results, which focused on millennials (young adults):
- Half would rather go on a road trip with their dog than their family (39 percent in general).
- Four in 10 choose weekend getaways with their dog rather than partner (28 percent overall).
- About 32 percent of pet owners have left a dog at home thinking travel was not safe enough.
Volvo has an interest in the survey results because it claims to be 鈥渢he leading vehicle manufacturer to develop safety accessories for pets that directly tie into the safety system of the car.鈥� Accessories include a dog harness, load compartment divider, dog gate and protective steel grille.
