A new industry survey finds that more than a quarter of Florida dog owners let their pets ride loose in the car, even though nearly all of them say they know better — a gap that AAA is using National Dog Day to spotlight, without calling for any government mandate to close it.

According to a AAA Consumer Pulse survey of 201 Florida dog owners conducted August 5-13, half of Floridians own a dog, and 62% take their dog in the car at least monthly, with about a quarter of those dogs riding in the front seat. Despite 92% of owners agreeing that restraints matter, 28% still let their dogs ride unrestrained. The top reasons owners gave were wanting their dog to stick its head out the window (43%), not owning a proper restraint (25%), and feeling bad for the dog if it’s crated (19%).

AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins framed the issue as one of personal responsibility rather than a matter for regulators. “We know dogs love car rides,” he said. “But in a sudden stop or crash, an unrestrained dog can be thrown across the vehicle, seriously injured, or even ejected. Securing your dog before every trip is one of the simplest ways to protect a member of your family.”

The survey also found that dog behavior is a broader driving distraction than crash risk alone suggests. Seven in 10 Florida dog owners reported being distracted by their dog while driving — barking, seeking attention, moving between seats or jumping to the front — and 43% said their dog’s behavior had directly affected their driving, from taking their eyes off the road to sudden braking or swerving.

Notably absent from AAA’s release is any call for state legislation requiring pet restraints, a reminder that not every safety statistic is a prelude to a new mandate. Florida currently has no law requiring dogs to be restrained in vehicles, and AAA’s recommendations — crash-tested carriers, keeping pets out of the front seat, pulling over before tending to a loose dog — are pitched to owners as common-sense choices rather than legal obligations. AAA does, however, sell pet-related travel discounts and resources to its members, giving the organization a commercial interest alongside its safety message.

It’s also worth noting the survey’s modest scope: only 201 Florida dog owners were polled, yielding a margin of error of nearly 7 percentage points — a reminder to treat the topline “1 in 4” figure as a general signal rather than a precise measurement.

AAA’s practical advice for owners boils down to five points: use a properly fitted, vehicle-specific restraint on every trip; keep dogs in the back seat, away from airbags and controls; get dogs comfortable with restraints before long drives; never reach for a loose pet while driving; and never leave a pet unattended in a parked car.

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