Who doesn’t love a good road trip? Our pets are certainly no exception! Many times, we reach for our wallets or our keys and they come running. They just want to be with us everywhere we go. Follow these simple tips to keep your “best friend” safe at all times while they are in the car.
- Keep pets in the back seats - There are many reasons for your pet to stay in the back of your car. Among them is that they can't climb into your lap or lick you in the face and you aren't distracted petting them. Cutting down on this distraction reduces the chance of an accident and keeps you and them safe. Besides that, having them in the front seat is dangerous because we humans didn’t design airbags with pets in mind, and they could injure your pet in a crash. There's also a strong risk of them being thrown from the car when up front.
- Keep pets restrained – There is a reason while it is illegal for us humans not to wear our seatbelts. The same holds true for our furry friends. If a pet isn't restrained in a crash, it can fly forward and suffer severe injuries. It could even potentially hurt you or other passengers if you're in the collision path with the pet. It could also potentially be thrown from the car. There's also the possibility that in the aftermath of the crash an unrestrained pet could run off and become lost.
In order to keep your pet safe in the vehicle, you need to select the right equipment. To do so, there are two key types of restraint.
- The first kind is the carrier or crate type. You have probably seen these at pet stores, airports, and many other places. A crate will keep your pet from being thrown out or having a hard, high-speed collision with parts of the interior. The crate or carrier needs to be securely attached in the car to attachment points that will withstand a collision.
- The other key type of recommended crash protection is harnesses and seats. These strap onto your dog and are attached to secure points such as the seatbelts. These are virtually seatbelts for pets.
Hopefully, the information in this article will give you enough information so that you can travel safely with your pooch. If you want to see the secure points features in any of the cars on our lot, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
