New Jersey Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer, who owns a Pomeranian, five cats and a rabbit, has introduced a state bill that would require drivers to secure pets in seat belts, or pay up to $1,000 in tickets or fines. The $1,000 fine would be imposed only in extreme cases of animal cruelty, such as keeping a pet unsecured in the bed of a pickup truck, Bloomberg reported.
The fines would not apply to pets kept in crates.
Endorsed by New Jersey's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, legislation to require seat belts for pets has been in discussion in the state at least since the summer, not that such a bill doesn't have its critics, who argue that more attention should be paid to the state's budget deficit and 9.9 unemployment rate.
But Spencer defended the bill saying, lawmakers are "taught to multi-task."
"This doesn't limit my ability to address other issues for the people of New Jersey," she said.
Other states, such as Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois and Maine have banned motorists from driving with pets in their laps, but New Jersey is apparently the first state to require that pets be strapped in.
Y'all know I'm crazy about animals, and I'm practically a pinko commie, but I hate laws like this. It's a good example of "stay out of my life, government."
I would support this. Maybe not seat belts per se but secured in some way. It would cut down on distracted driving and keep people and animals safe in an accident. It is not really safe to have a 60lb pet flying around during a crash.
Stupid law, but my dog has a seat belt harness that he wears every time he's in the car. I do not want 75lbs of dog flying around if we get in an accident.
Post by Norticprincess on Sept 26, 2012 13:06:14 GMT -5
While i agree animals should be contained for their own safety, this doesnt seem possible. Are the manufacturers going to make things that fit the giant breeds? My puppy maxes out her harness (highest weight one I could find) in 15 pounds. She is a she, and the runt of her litter. The boys in her litter are 40lbs over the weight limit and too barrel chested o even fit the harness. She still has 8 months of slow height growth and 20 months of filling out. She isn't fully grown until two, they tend to fill out for a year after that. I can't even imagine putting her father in a harness, let alone fitting the crate into anything other than a minivan or full sized SUV. He sits behind spring bar blockers in the trunk, but I have little faith of the actually containing him if he were in an accident.
Post by donthasslethehoff on Sept 26, 2012 13:08:56 GMT -5
I think maybe forcing dogs to be in the back seat of the car might be a better idea, but having them secured in a seatbelt is crap. I hate when I see someone driving around with a 20 lb. dog hanging out on their lap. Not safe.
Post by ondaflipside on Sept 26, 2012 13:09:46 GMT -5
I have no problem with this. After seeing first-hand; a large dog fly out of a car when the car driver made a quick and fast sharp turn to make a light (to get to the dog park), this is a no-brainer. Dogs love to stick their head out of the window. Things like these CAN happen.
I don't mind this. It is a safety issue, not only for the animal but for the driver, passengers, and other vehicles. My dogs weight 55-70 lbs, in an accident they would have the same force as a small child if they went flying, and that could injure anyone in my car. Further, animals loose in the car are definitely a distraction and can actually cause an accident - when I first got one of my dogs, he threw my car in neutral one day when I was driving and thankfully no one was behind us because it would have caused an accident.
Finally, if you get in an accident an animal is likely to get loose (if they are not injured to a point where they can't walk) and can get into traffic, which may result in the dog's death and/or cars swerving to miss them and getting into an accident themselves.
My dogs both have seatbelts for the reasons above and of course for their own safety!
While i agree animals should be contained for their own safety, this doesnt seem possible. Are the manufacturers going to make things that fit the giant breeds? My puppy maxes out her harness (highest weight one I could find) in 15 pounds. She is a she, and the runt of her litter. The boys in her litter are 40lbs over the weight limit and too barrel chested o even fit the harness. She still has 8 months of slow height growth and 20 months of filling out. She isn't fully grown until two, they tend to fill out for a year after that. I can't even imagine putting her father in a harness, let alone fitting the crate into anything other than a minivan or full sized SUV. He sits behind spring bar blockers in the trunk, but I have little faith of the actually containing him if he were in an accident.
We don't enough seats to restrain all our kids in proper carseats and also harness our dog when all of use are in the car together. He rides in the back of our SUV. Is there a better solution?
Like Kore said-they need to stop people from eating, drinking, talking on the phone, etc etc before this
In a lot of jurisdictions, talking on the phone (without a headset) IS illegal already.
I don't have a pet, but it doesn't make sense to me that people are legally required to be strapped in while a pet can roam free. I think there are a lot of kids who don't enjoy being strapped to a carseat, but you'd never argue that it's ok to just hold a kid on your lap these days, right?
Dogs don't have the same rights as people. You can take your dog to the vet to be euthanized for no specific reason. You can't take your kid to the ped and request that.
I care a ton about my animals, and I do everything I can to protect their safety. I just dislike turning things like these into something the government polices.
Our dog is harnessed when she travels, and she is an 85 lbs dog. You can get a harness for a big dog. It clicks right into the seatbelt buckle. But we do it bc she tries to climb into the front seat otherwise. She can still move around and put her head out the window. She just doesn't fall when we turn a corner.
That said, I have mixed feelings. Especially bc I see my father drive around with his beagle on his lap. It's scary. And I know a law is the only thing that would convince him it's stupid and dangerous. I've failed.
Post by takeonyou on Sept 26, 2012 13:36:38 GMT -5
I hate it. I'm in NJ and when the dog travels with us, it is in our pickup. We have seats for both kids in the back, but he is 85 lbs. He doesn't fit in the small middle seat. He lays on the floor and sleeps. I can't put a barrier because the kids are back there too. Its annoying. How can I restrain him without him tangling the kids legs up?
Dogs don't have the same rights as people. You can take your dog to the vet to be euthanized for no specific reason. You can't take your kid to the ped and request that. I care a ton about my animals, and I do everything I can to protect their safety. I just dislike turning things like these into something the government polices.
This made me chuckle. I guess I just wasn't expecting to read that. I agree with Kore that I don't think this needs to be regulated.
I'm a bad dog mom. My dog doesn't like being strapped in, and he *always* seems to get himself tangled in the seatbelt/harness. So we let him ride in the backseat unrestrained. But he likes sitting there and will lay down if I tell him to.
Post by EmilieMadison on Sept 26, 2012 13:39:53 GMT -5
I'm really torn on this. I dont think it should be a law, but on the other hand, an unsecured dog could kill the driver or other passengers (just like an unbuckled person could). They become virtual missals in a crash. A 30 lb dog in the back seat would hit the driver/other passenger with the force of 900 lbs in a crash going just 30 mph.
Lots of people are also upset that there are seatbelt laws for people. I think the safety of everyone should be considered, and since an unrestrained passenger (be it a human or a dog) has the potential to kill other passengers in a crash, maybe it should be a law.
I'm really torn on this. I dont think it should be a law, but on the other hand, an unsecured dog could kill the driver or other passengers (just like an unbuckled person could). They become virtual missals in a crash. A 30 lb dog in the back seat would hit the driver/other passenger with the force of 900 lbs in a crash going just 30 mph. So I dont know...
I totally get what you're saying. But the same would be true of anything unsecured in the back seat, right? Not just a dog.
I'm really torn on this. I dont think it should be a law, but on the other hand, an unsecured dog could kill the driver or other passengers (just like an unbuckled person could). They become virtual missals in a crash. A 30 lb dog in the back seat would hit the driver/other passenger with the force of 900 lbs in a crash going just 30 mph. So I dont know...
I totally get what you're saying. But the same would be true of anything unsecured in the back seat, right? Not just a dog.
Exactly. Mh saw a microwave sever a boys foot off in a crash.
I'm really torn on this. I dont think it should be a law, but on the other hand, an unsecured dog could kill the driver or other passengers (just like an unbuckled person could). They become virtual missals in a crash. A 30 lb dog in the back seat would hit the driver/other passenger with the force of 900 lbs in a crash going just 30 mph. So I dont know...
I totally get what you're saying. But the same would be true of anything unsecured in the back seat, right? Not just a dog.
That's true. But I guess maybe that's where the line is drawn. If your "passenger" is alive, it should be secured. But again, I really dont know if I agree that it should be a law for pets. I personally think it's crazy scary to NOT secure something that could hit me with enough force to kill me. I'd be doing it more for my own protection than for my dog's. I'm sure that sounds cold.
FWIW, I do secure everything in my vehicle. I'm a passenger safety technician, and I have seen what can happen
While i agree animals should be contained for their own safety, this doesnt seem possible. Are the manufacturers going to make things that fit the giant breeds? My puppy maxes out her harness (highest weight one I could find) in 15 pounds. She is a she, and the runt of her litter. The boys in her litter are 40lbs over the weight limit and too barrel chested o even fit the harness. She still has 8 months of slow height growth and 20 months of filling out. She isn't fully grown until two, they tend to fill out for a year after that. I can't even imagine putting her father in a harness, let alone fitting the crate into anything other than a minivan or full sized SUV. He sits behind spring bar blockers in the trunk, but I have little faith of the actually containing him if he were in an accident.
My dogs have these. They can still move around in their seat and put their heads out the window.
Also, I would have no problem with dogs being behind the secured gates in SUVs as long as they are not able to get to the driver.
Too small. His chest was in the high 50s last time he was measured. He is a BIG boy.
My girl is in a Bergen one, but they have a weight limit of 150 they clip into the bottom webbing of the seatbelt connector vs the seatbelt itself. The sizes under hers can actually attach to the latch system.
Eta baby girl has been in a harness since she was a little pup, she doesn't mind it at all. She loves the car and knows she is going for a ride when the harness comes out.
My dog would cry bloody murder if he had to travel in any manner other than sitting in my lap while H drives.
But this is the same argument some parents use for not putting their babies in car seats. I'm not just saying that to make a point, either.
ETA: LOL, um, obviously I'm making "a point". Doh. What I'm saying is, it's not a valid reason for parents not to use child restraints, so maybe it shouldn't be a valid reason for dog parents either. But I"m still torn on whether it should be a law for dogs.
It would zap one of the biggest joy my dog has which is riding with me (1 mile) to pick up the kids from school with her head out the window. My cat gets the crate even in 2 blocks to the vet because she's freaked out by cars. But crates can fly in an accident so not sure the point. Is this a common cause of accidents or is it for pet safety? I'm not sure I get it. My dog crying in a crate is more distracting to me (the driver) than sitting next to me.