Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

Sharing the Dangers of Unrestrained Dogs

Alaska Car Accident Lawyers
Sharing the Dangers of Unrestrained Dogs

Alaska and the United States as a whole are places where people love dogs.  Everyone knows someone who has at least one, and in Alaska especially, dogs are a way of life, a means of transportation and lifelong companions.  People enjoy a higher quality of life in general with dogs, but a recent study points out the dangers of having a dog in a moving vehicle that’s unrestrained.  People who have been harmed in accidents caused by distracted drivers based on a loose dog should seek the help of experienced Alaska car accident lawyers, and below is an overview of the issue.

AAA Study Points Out Dangers

The American Automobile Association, or AAA as it’s well known, recently completed a study concerning dogs and moving vehicles.  The numerical conclusions should give anyone who owns a dog pause long enough to consider taking protective steps.  The initial statistic concerns dog ownership.  Almost 40 percent of American households own at least one dog, which equals tens of millions of them living in homes in the United States.

Furthermore, the study asked drivers who own dogs about their habits.  At least 60 percent of those asked admitted to being distracted by an unrestrained dog in the vehicle at least once, and only 17 percent of respondents stated that they used some sort of dog restraint tool such as a kennel.

What This Study Means

This study should be illuminating for many reasons, not the least of which is that distracted drivers are a serious risk on the roads.  Inattentive drivers remain one of the leading causes of the 10,000 Alaska car accidents that occur every year, and there are many ways in which a dog could distract a driver.  It could climb onto its owners lap, bark suddenly or even climb onto the floor where the brake pedal sits, all of which can put the driver, the dog and others around them at risk.

If you own a dog and regularly take it with you in your vehicle, take steps to restrain it while the vehicle is moving.  If you or someone you love has been harmed by a distracted driver in a collision, you need the help of Alaska car accident lawyers who have years of experience in holding negligent parties accountable for their actions.  Contact Barber & Banker today to schedule a free initial consultation.