How Dogs Contribute to Distracted Driving

Both dogs and their owners are to blame for common distractions that come with taking Fido on a road trip.

In fact, AAA estimates that unrestrained dogs are a contributing factor to tens of thousands of car accidents annually. So, we asked dog owners about the top offenses committed by dogs and humans to see what happens behind the wheel.

The most common offense was a dog climbing into their owners’ laps while driving (41%). Whether your dog is 10 pounds or 40 pounds, they’re too big to sit in your lap, and for practical reasons: when a dog sits on your lap during the drive, it inhibits proper steering, blocks blind spots and often restricts the driver from keeping both hands on the wheel. And depending on where you live, this is even considered illegal.

The second most common offense was dogs who pawed or nudged their owner in the car (27%), followed by dogs who blocked the passenger side window or blind spot (11%). Some owners also reported their dogs stepping on the gear shifter while on the road.

On the driver’s side, there was no shortage of perilous behaviors. Over half of dog owners said they’ve reached into the back seat to attend to their pup (52%) and in doing so, turned their body and focus away from the road.

Other distracting behaviors that involved drivers taking a hand off the steering wheel included using hands or arms to hold their dog in place while breaking (23%) or blocking the dog from climbing into the front seat (19%). And, of course, let’s not forget that bane of Western civilization — the selfie. A small percentage of dog parents even admitted to taking pictures of themselves and their canine companion while behind the wheel.

Defensive Driving