Q: I’m not much of an animal person, but I don’t like to see them hurt. These people that are riding around with dogs in the back of their trucks make me crazy. The worst possible thing happened last week. Not only was the dog probably killed, but when it flew out of the truck bed, two cars crashed to avoid it, leading to human injuries as well. I don’t often say this, but there ought to be a law.
A: There are in some states. New Jersey has the strictest one: No unrestrained animals in vehicles, period. Not in the back of pickups. Not in the interior of cars. They’re protecting pets, but they also don’t want them flying forward during a fast stop and injuring the driver or passengers, or leaping out of any vehicle after a wreck and causing havoc. They also don’t want them creating a distraction for drivers.
A few other states, including California and New Hampshire, are less strict than New Jersey, but they do specifically prohibit unrestrained animals in open vehicles, like pickups, according to the ASPCA. A small number of municipalities, including Miami, also prohibit animals from riding in the back of an open vehicle unless they’re restrained.
I’ve changed my route when I’m traveling behind a pickup with a dog pacing in the truck bed because I know what’s probably going to happen if the driver swerves for a deer or road debris, or if the dog spots something to chase in a field.
In some states such laws have been proposed, and haven’t made it through committees and votes. Lawmakers can be pretty gutless when pressured by constituents who don’t want their freedom messed with. But if you want such a law in your state, gather support, present your petition to a friendly legislator, gain some media attention and you might have success.
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