Pooch Problems?

Q: I read your reply to the question about dogs being killed when airbags deploy. Seems logical but it’s not. In 30+ years of law enforcement, I never saw a dog injured by an airbag. People yes, dogs no. I checked data from collision investigation resources and found no reports of dogs injured by airbags. None. It should be reported if the report is done correctly. Can I ask where you got your information? I also never saw a dog in a vehicle cause an accident. I saw cats, snakes, bats and a ferret cause accidents, but never dogs. Not from inside the vehicle. A: Regarding why you found nothing about dogs and airbag injuries/deaths in the sources you checked, there are three possible explanations: maybe (though unlikely), no such incidents occurred in the particular state you examined; reports are as complete as the person writing them makes them (and not every officer in every U.S. village is equally well trained and detail-oriented); and there’s no national standardized requirement for recording and monitoring injuries/deaths of dogs in cars and the circumstances surrounding them. There are many easily accessed reports of dog/airbag incidents that have received media attention, including a driver and dog killed in a Seattle-area crash. It’s unclear whether that dog, riding in the woman’s lap, was a death by airbag, but survivors reported the woman was “distracted” by the dog. Another report is from a woman whose terrier - riding in the front seat - was killed when the airbag deployed. A dog in the backseat survived. As for dogs causing accidents, a recent online report details a Manchester, N.H., incident: a woman who crashed and was taken to the hospital for neck injuries said her dog had distracted her. Similar reports are bountiful. Most notorious: The massive injuries author Stephen King sustained years ago when hit by a driver distracted by his dog. The driver had only minor injuries but King spent weeks in the hospital/rehab. A veterinarian speaks of a husky who died in her clinic from “compression injuries” after it was raced there for treatment minutes after being hit by an airbag, and a spaniel with damage from a deployed airbag so severe it was euthanized. Until there’s a national effort to record this in a systematic way, I’m relying on first responders, care givers and media. What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.