The Things You See In The Driver’s Seat

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As I neared the driver’s side of the car next to me, all I could see through the open window was a tongue slapping in the wind. My thoughts ran wild. Was the driver in some sort of distress? Was he having a seizure, maybe a heart attack? Was he even conscious?

By the time I got even with the car, I was completely distracted from my own driving trying to see if the driver next to me was ok. As he turned to look at me, the wind through the open window caught his cheeks, blowing them straight back into the wind exposing a big grin across his face. That’s when reality set in.

Looking back at me was an English Bulldog right in the middle of his comfort zone and loving every minute of the ride with his “hooman.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It was cuteness overload, but then I became concerned. The driver was wearing his seatbelt and the dog was sitting in his lap. I wanted to tell the driver that if he hit his breaks did he know that his dog could be thrown out the window or crushed against the steering wheel.

The whole experience made me stop and think about another similar sight I saw on these East Texas roads that was just as scary. A flatbed truck with a good Coon Hound chained to the fifth-wheel. The dog was standing and struggling to keep his footing. I knew if he slipped over the edge, the results could be tragic.

Also, a photo went viral on social media and made national news from Corrigan recently when a driver transported a full grown horse in the back of his pick-up truck on US 59. The horse barely fit into the bed of the truck and was standing, looking over the cab. The driver told law enforcement the horse was accustomed to riding that way, but if the driver had hit his breaks the horse could have been thrown over the top of the truck.

TxDOT works daily to spread safety messages to Texas drivers in hopes we will all have safe driving experiences. But if you are the driver and your pet is the passenger, please consider restraining it. Pet carriers, a pet seatbelt, a barrier, harness or trailer all work great to keep them safe. Left unrestrained, they can be hurt and they can distract other drivers.

Most pets want to go where their owners go. Texas law currently does not require drivers to restrain pets in a vehicle, but research shows that an unrestrained 10-pound dog can generate 500 pounds of force in a 50-mph crash. While all they want to do is smile into the wind through an open window or from the back of a pickup truck, it really is our responsibility as pet owners to make sure they do it safely.

Rhonda Oaks
Rhonda Oaks is the Public Information Officer for the nine-county Lufkin District of the Texas Department of Transportation. A Lufkin native, she is a graduate of Hudson High School and Angelina College. She has a background in print journalism and worked for many years as a newspaper reporter and a freelance writer. She has received eight Associated Press awards. Her articles have been published in many publications over the past 25 years.

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