Colorado State Patrol offers tips and tricks about the dangers of unrestrained pets while driving

COLORADO, USA (KRDO) – The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is warning drivers about the dangers of unrestrained pets while on the road. 

CSP says any activity, like petting your dog or reaching back to provide a treat to your cat, takes the driver’s attention away from the road and is considered as a form of distracted driving. 

Officials with CSP also say a free roaming pet can turn into a deadly projectile during a crash or sudden stop. 

While the State of Colorado doesn’t have explicit laws that state you must retrain your pet in a vehicle, or prohibits drivers from having a pet in their lap, both situations, CSP says, may cause a driver to drift into another lane, hit another vehicle, or go off the road where drivers can be cited for reckless and careless driving. 

CSP says if you are going to go on a car ride with your pet, you can still protect them by following some of these recommendations from The National Humane Society: 

• Pets Shouldn’t Roam – Dogs should be in a crate anchored to the vehicle and
  cats should be in a carrier.
• Leave the Front Seat for Humans – Airbags can cause serious injury to pets,
  even if in a carrier or crate.
• Keep Those Heads Inside – Pets can be injured by particles of debris or made
  sick by cold air being forced into their lungs.
• Don’t Leave Your Pet Alone in the Car – Heat is a serious hazard and even 70-
  degree temperatures can heat your car to over 100 degrees in less than an hour.
  • Another hazard is the possibility of someone stealing your pet while you’re
    away.