It has become commonplace for people to act when the see a pet left unattended in a vehicle. The Ontario SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has been trumpeting a new campaign, entitled No Hot Pets, in an effort to bring awareness to the potentially lethal practice of leaving pets in vehicles that quickly reach dangerous interior temperatures.
But, there is another habit related to pet security in vehicles that is putting both motorists and furry companions at risk for serious injury or even death.
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Many enjoy the short summers in the area by going for a drive with the windows or top down, enjoying the months when the roads are free of snow and salt. Some bring their best friend or family members with them.
For some, those roles are filled by their canine companions. However, if that pet is unsecured, a motor vehicle accident can be deadly for other drivers, and both master and best friend.
There are many drivers who navigate the streets with dogs of all sizes either in the passenger seat or sitting in their laps, running daily errands with less than ideal vantage points for safe driving. We have all seen them. Maybe some of you are lap dog drivers.
When you look through the windshield of an oncoming vehicle and it looks like Scooby-Doo is driving, things have gone too far.
Sanja Karan commented in an online discussion on the topic that she nearly lost her life after a collision with a so-called lap dog driver. "I almost died in a car accident because of a "lap dog".
It was a Doberman who jumped all over his owner and she let go of her wheel and went into our lane hitting us head on[...] when the police got there they were shocked that we survived. We flipped into a ditch five times in a tiny car[...]People don't think, sadly. I have a dog and I would never do this."
Video courtesy YouTube
Allowing pets to ride in your vehicle untethered or without a crate, or even in the bed of a truck, is not only dangerous to the pets these owners profess to love so much but can lead to charges under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA).
According to the Ontario SPCA, the HTA does not contain offences pertaining specifically to animals in vehicles, but there are two offences can be interpreted as such:
- Careless driving (section 130 of the HTA). Offence: Dog on the lap of a driver. Having an animal on the lap of a driver puts the operator of the vehicle, the occupants and other drivers at risk of injury. Animals should be in the back seat secured by way of a crate or seatbelt harness.
- Insecure Load (section 111(2) of the HTA). Offence: Dog loose in the back of a truck. No animal should be loose in the back box of a pickup truck. Animals need to secure by way of a crate and the crate also needs to be secured.
Furthermore, section 162 of the HTA is a prohibition against crowding the driver's seat that could apply to a lap dog driver. It reads: "No person shall drive a motor vehicle with persons or property in the front or driver’s seat so placed as to interfere with the proper management or control of the motor vehicle."
In recent years, the RCMP has included lap dog drivers in their enforcement of distracted driving laws. Said Cpl. Robert McDonald of the RCMP Lower Mainland Traffic Services in a 2013 interview on safe driving practices, "The dog will prevent you from reaching the controls. Changing lanes without wanting to change lanes, [being] unable to turn properly, not using your signalling device because the dog is on your lap."
The Ontario SPCA has also created Operation V.A.L.U.E. (Vulnerable Animals Left Unattended Everyday), "a provincial crime prevention initiative, designed to address situations like the safe transportation of animals. This program is a partnership with policing agencies across all of Ontario."
The bottom-line is that pets are unsafe, and illegal, in the front seat. Besides the distractions associated with having a pet in your lap, in the event of the airbags deploying on either driver or passenger side, having a pet in between can be fatal to both humans and animals. Collisions caused by distracted driving that result in serious injury or death can result in criminal charges.
For safety's sake, if you are insistent on bringing Fido everywhere with you in the car, do your pooch and the other drivers on the road a favour and buy the appropriate gear to secure your best friend. Short of that, when you go out grocery shopping, leave your dog at home.
