| Their crate is positioned so they stay safe. |
I see it all too often people driving around with their little dogs sitting on their laps leaning on the steering wheel of the car. Or on the Drivers laps with their head out the window. These are the times when I wish I could just pull over another driver and let them know why their little adventure is so unsafe for them and their pet.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recommends Drivers should sit with their chests at least 10 inches away from the center of the steering wheel. Many newer airbags take into account seating position and deploy with less force if an occupant is sitting close.
However these newer smart airbags only take into account your seat position not the fact that you have a small dog on your lap which is in no way 10 inches from the airbag. Not to be overly gruesome but do you know what the airbag will do to the little dog in your lap. The one you love so much you want to take on a little adventure and think it is cruel to keep them in a bag or crate because they love driving so much? They will be squished. Its seems that airbag deploy at about 200 miles an hour because they have to be fully inflated when your body is in forward motion. The whole process takes under a fraction of a second. Is this really the special treat you want your pet to have? Wouldn’t it be more special to keep them safe in the car and go somewhere special for them whether that is to the local Pet Supply Store or a doggy play date. Train your dogs to not mind the crate or carrying bag or seat restraint or gate to keep them in the back seat or cargo area.
When putting your dog or cat in a crate DO NOT buckle the crate into a seat restraint. The crate will rip apart in a high velocity crash with your pet still inside. Instead use blankets and pillows to line the crate and if possible bumpers like in a baby’s crib to keep their heads from crashing into the crate. A crash happens in a fraction of a second so a sleeping dog will probably still be laying down in an accident so the bumpers would protect them. Teach your pet to lay down in the crate when you are driving. A restless dog pacing around their crate while you are driving on the highway can be a distraction when driving as well.
Any type of restraint that keeps your dog in its place in a crash is safer for you and your pet.
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A good PSA. I see this all of the time. Driver driving with their dog, sometimes dogs, in their laps. I always cringe whenever I see it. I hope your message gets across to folks. I will add that I also cringe whenever I see dogs riding in the back of a pick up truck without kennels or tethers or something to keep them safe. Saw that one yesterday and almost covered my eyes because one dog looked like he was going to jump into oncoming traffic. Just awful!
I'm so glad that I discovered your blog (and this post!), even though I could never fit in my human's lap as she was driving. I'm a pretty big gal, so my humans, Jeannie and Ben, have really been strict about the no-sitting-in-our-laps-while-driving rule. Of course, after reading this post, I will never let any of my smaller doggy friends roam free int he car, or invade the driver's lap!
It's so nice to meet you, Two Little Cavaliers! Thank you for starting the blog hop – I can't wait to explore the rest of your blog. Enjoy your weekend! 🙂
Dogs with half their bodies hanging out of the window make me crazy. I'm terrified they'll fall out and I'll hit them.
Melf – We don't see dogs in pick ups so much around here. But when I am visiting my parents I see it all the time and it makes me crazy.
Vicky – I want to stop the car and push the dog back in the car and roll the window up so they can't jump out.
TY – great advice! For kitties too – and the dogs in pickup beds has always driven me crazy too! Illegal in Omaha, thank goodness.
Your dogs are beautiful!
This is excellent advice! I actually recently have a friend who was in a car accident where her husband was driving and their 2 dogs were freely sitting in the car. It was a pretty serious accident (she was hospitalized for several days and underwent emergency surgery), but to make matters worse, the two dogs were missing after the accident. Fortunately, several days after the accident both dogs were located, unharmed, but it's just one more reason why you shouldn't let your dogs sit in the car freely! You think about them getting injured, but you forget that maybe the dogs are terrified after an accident and will run away!
You dogs are beautiful and this is a wonderful PSA! I am new to the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop and you are my very first stop 🙂
Oliver thinks your carriers look just like his (that's because they are!) Travel safe and be sure to stop by and learn about our giveaway at http://www.allthingsdogblog.com/2011/02/custom-dog-stickers-made-to-order.html
Just the other day we were almost in an accident because the car in front of us was driving erratically, we thought they might be drunk. When we pulled ahead as they turned right, we saw a little white dog sitting in the drivers lap! Not good.
Thank you; I stand convicted of inconsistency.
Hi Y'all,
My Humans bought an SUV to hold my crate cause I'm too big for the right size crate to fit in the back seat of a sedan.
I hate to admit but I ate through the seat belt when they tried that. Then they got a new one and I started to work on the Human belt that mine linked into.
That's how I ended up in a crate in an SUV when Papa HATES SUVs.
Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
great advice. I always buckle my cat carrier into the front seat when traveling. Happy weekend.
Thanks for posting this information. I hadn't thought about the problem of anchoring a crate in place. Not good. I attach my dog to the backseat of the with a seat belt linked to his halter but that's a tough one to do for really large dog.
Oh, dear. We have seen dogs riding like that in a car. Thank you for the PSA.
I just hate seeing people ride with their dogs on their laps when they're driving. I understand it's cute. And it's easier than training a new behavior. But I keep on thinking about the danger just caused by the distraction.
Is it just a matter of time before someone proposes legislation on this?
Oh yes it is much better to have your Pet restrained in the car not only during the impact of an accident but because it can be very scary for everyone afterward. Thanks for bringing that up. Great topic for a PSA for next week and I can include something I have been meaning to talk about for a while.
Great post. Can someone come up with a SAFE way for dogs to enjoy the air breezing by, though?
Have you seen the Pet Safety Lady? This post reminds me of her work – she's trying to spread the word on keeping dogs safe in vehicles!
http://barkbuckleup.blogspot.com/p/pet-safety-lady.html
Dogs in driver's laps drives me crazy too… and it has to be distracting to the driver too, which is never safe.
I remember a friend used to allow her dog in the front passenger seat, and she was driving around a rotary, with her windows down and the dog JUMPED out the window when he saw a bicycle rider close by! All my friend could do was grab the leash, so then the dog was HANGING out the window. Luckily the bike rider saw it, grabbed her dog and shoved it back in the car and said “Roll up your window!” Yep, she bought a crate that very same day!
Good post!
I am late to the party this weekend and am delighted to see so many link-ups! Thanks for hosting and have a fabulous weekend!
Ramona
http://create-with-joy.blogspot.com
My wife and I are very strict when it comes to our dogs in the car. They are always seat belted in the back seat with their seat belt harnesses.
I'm a Paramedic in Ontario and have seen all to much what happens to pets in car accidents and once you see it, your pet will never ride without a seat belt again.