It’s important to look at why driving with an unrestrained dog in the car is dangerous.
- The laws of physics apply to your dog. Pet restraints prevent your pup from becoming a forceful projectile upon impact, just as seat belts keep you and passengers safe.
- Unrestrained dogs can be a significant distraction. Dogs who are loose in the car can interfere with your pedal operation, steering, airbag effectiveness, ability to see blind spots and more.
- Dogs who hang their heads out the window are at risk for being struck by an object, on the road or off.
- In case of an accident, your dog may survive but can face other dangers. It’s common for unrestrained dogs to be ejected from the vehicle. Frightened and possibly hurt, your pup could run off into oncoming traffic or go missing.
- It’s not unheard of for typically sweet dogs to become aggressive when trapped or wounded. First responders have reported dogs in cars guarding their injured owners, delaying help from paramedics.
These factors may seem obvious, but we found that nearly ⅓ of respondents have never considered the dangers of driving with an unrestrained dog in the car. Most drivers have never been in an accident with their dogs, so it’s understandable that pet safety restraints don’t come into play on many road trips.
However, our most shocking finding was the level of negligence when it came to using pet restraints. 47% of dog owners surveyed acknowledged the dangers of driving with an unrestrained dog, yet continue to do it anyways. Common reasons included owners felt their dog was too calm for restraint, while others thought they were unnecessary for short trips or wanted their dog to enjoy sticking their head out the window. Some dog owners simply wanted Fido to be close to them or felt restraints were inconvenient.
Yet, considering that the average dog has roughly a 15-year life span, odds are that at some point in their lives, owners and dogs will have an accident while driving together. If anything, surviving such a circumstance certainly makes a case for why every dog owner should use a pet restraint.