{"id":5525,"date":"2019-11-14T20:46:44","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T20:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=5525"},"modified":"2019-11-14T20:46:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T20:46:46","slug":"how-your-pet-can-be-a-distraction-to-you-while-you-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/how-your-pet-can-be-a-distraction-to-you-while-you-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your Pet Can Be A Distraction To You While You Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are many known driving distractions\nthat we are warned to avoid while on the road. These include: talking or\ntexting on your mobile device, eating or drinking, attending to personal grooming,\nor adjusting our vehicle\u2019s radio or navigation system. While it is important to\nbe mindful of each of these potential distractions, there is another type of distraction\nthat doesn\u2019t get as much attention \u2013 driving with our pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-978360936-2.jpg\" alt=\"Pets can be a distraction to drivers\" class=\"wp-image-5526\" width=\"399\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-978360936-2.jpg 737w, https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-978360936-2-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/GettyImages-978360936-2-467x300.jpg 467w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people take their dogs or cats in\nthe car with them when they run local errands; others bring them along for long\nroad trips. During these excursions, our pets often have free reign of the\nvehicle, will place their head out the car window, and in some cases, even sit\nin the driver\u2019s lap. These activities, while adorable, can pose great danger to\nnot only the operator of the vehicle, but also the other passengers, fellow\nmotorists, and even the pets themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent\nstudy of individuals who frequently travel with their pets in the car revealed\nsome very startling facts about their behaviors. The survey concluded that 64\npercent of drivers admitted to engaging in a potentially distracting\npet-related activity, and 29 percent admitted to actually being distracted by\ntheir pets. Some of the activities noted in the study included petting or playing\nwith their pets, allowing them to stay in their lap, feeding them treats, and\ntaking photos of them. &nbsp;The same study determined\n84 percent allowed their pets to ride in their vehicle while unrestrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid\nthese types of distractions while driving, motorists should consider purchasing\na safety device for their dog or cat. There are two types of devices to choose\nfrom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pet\nseat belts &#8211; They are easy to use and work in tandem with your normal seat\nbelt. Check to make sure the pet belt is the right size for your animal. One\nthat&#8217;s too big or too small is counterproductive and can cause unnecessary\ninjuries.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pet\ncarriers- Look for a sturdy carrier with ample ventilation and plenty of room\nfor your pet to turn around and stretch out. Also, make sure you secure the\ncarrier so that it stays safely in place if you suddenly brake or get into an\naccident.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\nDriving with your beloved pet in the car doesn&#8217;t need to be dangerous. Take\nsome time to make sure you can safely restrain your pet to maximize safety for\nyou and your lovable friend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many known driving distractions that we are warned to avoid while on the road. These include: talking or texting on your mobile device, eating or drinking, attending to personal grooming, or adjusting our vehicle\u2019s radio or navigation system. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/how-your-pet-can-be-a-distraction-to-you-while-you-drive\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[510],"tags":[1894,1896,1895,1897],"class_list":["post-5525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-distracted-driving","tag-driving-safety-tips","tag-pets-and-driving","tag-traveling-with-pets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5525"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5527,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5525\/revisions\/5527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}