Many drivers have unrestrained pets in the car with them. Some place pets in the backseat or even in the cargo area of an SUV. Others allow their pets to ride in the front seat. Some studies have noted that merely 16% of drivers use pet restraints, meaning the vast majority of people who take even short trips with their pets do not restrain them in any way.
This can be very distracting for a driver. For instance, novelist Stephen King was famously struck by a driver in a van who was distracted by his dogs. King was walking along the side of the road near his home when the distracted driver left the roadway and hit him. While King did recover, it was only after an extensive hospital stay.
Accidents can lead to severe injuries
Pedestrian and bicycle accidents can cause serious injuries because pedestrians and cyclists have very little protection, and a distracted driver is less likely to see them.
But it is also possible for an unrestrained pet to cause a two-car collision. Someone who turns around to get their dog to stop barking, for example, could drift over the center line or fail to notice that traffic has stopped ahead. Crossing the center line could lead to a high-speed head-on collision. Rear-ending another vehicle could also cause serious injuries to that driver and any passengers.
Seeking financial compensation
Pets are just one form of driver distraction. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.