In Jersey, buckle up that dog or else
Jun 7, 2012, 8:47 AM
PHOENIX — A new law in New Jersey will allow officers to ticket drivers for not having their dogs buckled up in the back-seat of the car.
Rhode Island is looking to pass a similar law. This comes on the heels of a recent survey from AAA that found that three out of 10 drivers have admitted to being distracted by their dog while driving.
“Those animals can become projectiles if you were involved in a collision. It’s a very hazardous situation for everybody in the car,” said Stephanie Dembowski with AAA Arizona.
Dembowski said buckling up a dog is still a new issue; AAA has yet to take an official stance on the matter. However, Dembowski agreed that buckling up the dog would be in everyone’s best interests.
“There are pet-restraint systems that are relatively inexpensive out there,” said Dembowski.
Arizona has no such dog-restraint law, but according to the Department of Public Safety, if a driver is involved in a crash caused by dog distraction, the driver can be cited with the same violation as a texting-while-driving accident.