Vehicle safety for dogs and their humans is so very important! Mom has been a seat belt person since she was five when some cars didn’t even have seat belts. She eventually spent years as a flight attendant where her job was to ask if people wanted coffee or tea, chicken or beef, and tell everyone to fasten their seat belts. It’s no wonder she is adamant about all of us buckling up in the car be it a one mile or one thousand mile ride!
Statistics For Dogs In Vehicles
Last week it was in the news that a woman died in a car accident caused by her because of one of her loose dogs crawling into her lap. What are people thinking? We see this so often, usually with small dogs, but it is so very dangerous for lots of reasons. I guess we can be thankful it is usually small dogs since a Newfie on a lap would really be a problem. Properly restraining your dog in a vehicle is not only your duty to your dog, but to protect yourself, and others. Check out these scary statistics!
- 84% of dog owners traveling with their dogs in a vehicle are not restraining them
- Only 16% of people who transport their dogs use proper safety restraints
- 60% of dog owners have driven while being distracted by their pets
- 17% percent of drivers allowed their dog to sit in their lap while they were driving
- 4% percent of drivers say they have played with their dog while driving
Don’t make the mistake of thinking a small dog isn’t a big deal. In a thirty mph crash, a ten pound dog will fly with around three hundred pounds of pressure in an accident. Not only will the dog be injured, she becomes a projectile that can injure other passengers in the vehicle. Now imagine the force of an unrestrained eighty pound dog in a crash at sixty mph!
Considerations For Vehicle Safety For Dogs
How can you best travel with your dog to keep her safe as well as any other passengers in the vehicle?
Decide on where your dog will ride. Most people have their dogs in the back of the vehicle, but in a rear end crash, this could be harmful to the dogs. Have you researched crash tests for your vehicle? We ride in the back seat for many reasons, but one is because it is safer than the back of the car.
Buckle your dog up. My sisters and I wear seat belts, BUT very few seat belts are really crash approved. Ours are AllSafe which have been crash tested and are also approved for use on the German Autobahn. AllSafe dog car restraints have been tested and approved by Germany, Sweden, and the USA. They are expensive, but they are the best in the world, and they will last for years to come.
Crate your dog, BUT a crate is not a crate. The plastic crates like we use for home and dog sports will keep your dog restrained in the car but in a crash they will most likely break and your dog will escape if they are not injured. There are crates made for cars, like the MIM Variocage which is awesome. Mom isn’t a big car crate fan, another reason we opted for seat belts.
Why Restrain Your Dog In A Vehicle
- Unrestrained dogs become a driver distraction similar to texting and driving. Children are restrained whether they like it or not, dogs should be as well.
- Dogs should not be hanging out of open windows. It is dangerous for one thing, and for another, all the wind is bad for unprotected eyes.
- Your dog should never be in the front seat, whether they are restrained or not. The airbags are a huge danger, not to mention the danger of flying through the windshield which is right there.
- A dog will become a projectile in a crash if not properly restrained. For the safety of your dog, you, and other passengers, restrain them.
- Your dog may be thrown from the vehicle. Depending on injuries, she may run out into traffic, causing further accidents, or end up getting hit by a car.
- Dogs who are in an accident are traumatized and may not let first responders anywhere near you or your car. For the safety of help that arrives, dogs should be restrained.
Vehicle safety for dogs in vehicles is so important. It needs to be done, and done correctly! Kudos to you if you are properly restraining your dog. If you are letting your pup be loose in your vehicle, we hope this post will give you some things to think about.
PS: In case you feel the need to spy on your pups while driving like our mom does, buy a baby mirror. It only costs a couple dollars but it is a great investment. Without turning around, Mom can check up on us anytime.
**This post is not sponsored by anyone. We are just sharing our own thoughts and experiences with our readers.**
Such great advice
We think it is super important.
We have seen lots of sweeties get lost due to vehicle accidents, wise advise!
I know when we hit a mega pothole a while back, Mom was worried about stopping on the highway. Even with seat belts, she was afraid we would try to get out of the car.
Wonderful advice. We do not always use them (bad mom) but we do have 2 of the Allsafe restraints. Maggie was in the car with Mom – unrestrained – when she was rear ended by a bus and then T-boned by a van. Maggie rolled all over in the car and had broken ribs, but amazingly she survived! Mom will always live with her injuries. XOXO, Sparkle
We remember hearing about that accident. Mom insists on buckling us in every time we get into the car. Most accidents happen close to home where drivers feel comfortable and let their guard down. We are glad your mom and Maggie survived.
A very important post today!
Thank you. We felt the need to spread the word.
the idea with the small mirrow is super great!!! so many thanks! we will buy a small one tomorrow…
Mom just loves it. She used to have to keep turning around which is bad, but no more!
Luke doesn’t like riding, so he only does so when necessary, and we don’t go far. But I know that doesn’t matter! I think I need to find a safe crate for the car, that would probably make him feel most comfortable too. Great post!
Thank you. If he is in a crate he may feel better than being loose in the car.
Love this advice!
Thank you. It is important to think about.
Our Little Bit had ever gadget knows to be needed and we had a seat belt for her when we went on a ride. She was just fine with it and it gave us a lot of peace of mind.
Have a woof woof day and week. My best to your smart mom. ♥
We are fine with our seat belts too as we start wearing them when we are big enough to fit into the small size. It’s so important.
THIS, is fabulous advice especially with holidays approaching! Mom never lets us drive ” loose.” We buckle in or ride in metal crates that are tied down with metal hooks (Dad is our “hooker” crazy safety guy)
Glad your dad is in charge of making sure your crates are secured. You sure don’t want to go flying!
GREAT post! I use seat belt straps that click into the seat belt unit on one end and have a leash clip for the ring on the back of the harness at the other end. It’s not great, but it’s better than nothing. And nothing is what I see most drivers here using.
Nothing is the most popular option, and the worst possible option not only for the dog, but for the other humans in the vehicle. It’s the force with which we will fly when hit that is the big problem and many of the tools to secure dogs that are for sale, will simply break under the force.
Such great information. I used to not wear a seat belt now I do. The pups used to roam free but now I have a dog truck and they go in there boxes. In my car I have crates.
We are glad they are not roaming free anymore!
Like Luke above Dakota isn’t a fan of the car either…..I had tried the seatbelt thing, he didn’t care for it. I am ashamed to say his preferred place to sit in the car is in the back on the floor………..he doesn’t even like to sit on the seat 🙁 This was a great post!
Thank you. Bailie isn’t a big car fan, but she still has to sit on the back seat and wear her seat belt like the rest of us. Somethings in life are not what we prefer, but safety comes first. Not every dog loves the car.
I admit I don’t buckle Duncan every time we drive somewhere. I have a Smart car with only a front seat and the dog seat belt I have does not do a good job of holding him in his seat,
I hope you have the airbag off so it doesn’t blast him in a crash?
It makes me crazy to see unrestrained dogs in vehicles! The boys ride in their kennel in the rear of our SUV. I saw someone with their dog in the back of their truck the other day. What the heck??
Whenever we see dogs loose in the back of a pick up, Mom goes nuts. People don’t think at all!
Mama has been known to say some HBO words to and about peeps who ride with their dogs in the back of their trucks(for some reason that is way too common up here). Mama keeps us buckled in at all times!
xoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
That is truly inexcusable! Mom has told us that as a kid she would ride down the highway in the back of a pick up with her cousins sometimes, but that was a very, very long time ago before the whole safety thing really started. Dogs should never ride in the back of a truck loose. Ugh!
Everybody needs to buckle up or be in a carrier, every time!
You are right about that, even for a short drive.
Important info! Thanks!