ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Many U.S. dog-owners admit risky behavior while driving with their pets, with more than half saying they have stroked them, a survey released Wednesday said.
The online survey of 1,000 dog owners who said they had driven with their animals during the past year was conducted by the automobile group AAA and Kurgo, a company that makes pet products.
Petting dogs was the most common distracting behavior, with 55 percent admitting they had done so. One in five, 21 percent, said they had driven with their dogs in their laps, 7 percent said they had given dogs food and water while driving and 5 percent admitted playing with them.
Only 17 percent said they took steps to restrain their pets while in the car.
Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, national traffic safety programs manager for AAA, said pets can be a danger if a driver crashes as well as a potential cause of a crash by a distracted driver.
"An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph will exert roughly 500 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure," she said. "Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and anyone in the vehicle in its path."
