Dogs and other pets sometimes ride in their owner's vehicles, or hang outside the windows, on the way to veterinarian's offices, to family gatherings or during road trip vacations. While some pets may travel better than others, all pets can pose a potential driving distraction to their owners. This is particularly true for unrestrained dogs or pets that are free to roam between the laps of the driver and other passengers as the car speeds down the road.

Because cell phone use and texting while driving are two major sources of distractions to drivers these days, many states have passed, or will soon pass, laws related to prohibiting and punishing for these specific offenses. In addition, some state legislatures are also working on broader distracted driving laws, which may allow law enforcement officials to punish drivers with loose animals in their vehicles.

For example, the Office of Legislative Research for Connecticut reports that Connecticut and Maine enacted general laws against distracted driving last year. The laws are broad enough to permit law enforcement personnel the discretion to interpret them in situations like ticketing drivers who operate a car with a small dog in their laps.

In Arizona, there is currently no specific law against owners who become distracted by free-roaming pets while driving. There is a bill, however, against general distracted driving that was introduced in February of this year and is currently held by house committees for discussion.

The bill proposed to add a section on distracted driving to the Arizona Revised Statutes that states:

  • A person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a highway while the person is distracted in any manner.
  • A law enforcement officer may issue a citation to a person for a violation of this section if the officer believes the distracted driving is hazardous to public safety.

Currently only Hawaii has a law that explicitly bans drivers from allowing interference with their control over a vehicle by an animal, person or other object. Both California and Virginia attempted to pass laws prohibiting drivers to have dogs in their laps, but neither was enacted.

According to a Nationwide Mutual Insurance survey, around eight percent of drivers confessed to operating vehicles with pets on their laps.

Drivers have enough distractions and rapidly changing laws to follow while driving, so no matter the destination, it is important to secure pets when they come along for the ride. Not only is it safer for the animals to be restrained in case an accident occurs, but large pets can also put pressure on drivers or passengers in a car crash.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a crash involving driver distraction by a pet or other device, contact an experienced Arizona personal injury attorney to discuss your rights and options. A lawyer versed in laws that may apply to punishing distracted drivers may be able to help you recover from any accidents or injuries.