Dog Safety- Riding in cars

There comes a time in every dog and owner’s life when it becomes necessary to take a trip in the car. Whether your dog loves car rides or hates them, there are some important things to consider in order to make the ride safe for both of you.

It’s easy to let dogs just hop in the car and be about our business, however, dogs need to be restrained somehow when riding in the car for safety reasons. Just like children and yourself, you make sure you’re buckled up every time you ride in the car. There are three primary ways to do this for dogs; with a crate, a divider, or a safety harness. Like with young children, dogs should not be allowed to ride in the front seat as the air bags could severely injure or kill them.

Consider the following situation: You have your two dogs loose in the back seat on the way to the park when a car runs a red light and hits you in an intersection. You are unconscious and pinned in your seat from the impact. One dog flew into the window, leaving smashed glass and blood in the back seat. The other dog was thrown into the floorboard and is also pinned there. Paramedics arrive and try to get you out. Without noticing the dogs, they open the back door to get inside the car to get to you, and let the scared and injured dog out of the car. The dog runs into the street and escapes into traffic. As the paramedics begin to assess the situation, the dog in the floorboard begins to get anxious. He is scared and trapped. Dogs act unpredictably when under duress and may try to bite someone trying to save your life, or in an effort to protect themselves from a perceived threat. He begins to growl at the paramedics. To avoid being bitten, the paramedics back off and call animal control to secure the second dog and retrieve the first. They are unable to help you while they wait. Animal control arrives, snares the dog in the floorboard, and keeps it from lashing out at the paramedics. They get you free. When you wake up in the hospital you are informed that one dog ran into the street and caused an accident where it was hit and killed and the other dog was deemed vicious by animal control for its behavior in the car and is in their custody. They want to put him to sleep.

Dogs can also cause distraction, leading to careless driving choices. They can also physically get in the way of us operating the vehicle properly. Can you imagine a small dog crawling under the brake pedal or a big dog trying to get in your lap? What a nightmare that would be.

These situations could be prevented, or at least reduced, with a few protective safety measures.

Crates

I have discussed the different kinds of crates before and mentioned that the plastic kinds are the safest for use while travelling. You can use the wire crates, but they are not nearly as secure, especially since they are designed to collapse. There are custom designed crates made for your car and for safety, however, they are not as widely affordable or as common as plastic crates. These crates can be placed in the backseat of a car or SUV, or in the cargo area of an SUV or truck for your dog to ride in. In the case of an accident, like the situation above, crates are by far the safest tool. Dogs can become projectiles if not secured. The hard plastic keeps the dog from flying everywhere in the event of a collision and it actually protects the dog’s body from a crushing impact. The dog will get banged up a bit, but inside a crate, there’s not very much distance to fly. If paramedics are necessary, they can remove the crates without fear of being bitten and wasting valuable time. The doors and hinges could break open, but these crates were designed for safety and even if damaged, they are supposed to remain functional. As with any safety product, they can fail under the right conditions, but having them available is much better than the alternative. Crates offer protection for both you and your dog, as well as a reasonable assurance as to their location as well as making them easier to notice.

Crates, when used for car travel, should be properly secured inside the car, much like a car seat. It does not do much good to have a crate as a projectile instead of a dog, so make sure they are fixed tightly to the seat or other strong anchor point.

Harnesses

As owners become more aware of dog safety issues, new products have been developed, including car safe harnesses. Some have even been crash tested. These harnesses are unlike typical dog walking harnesses because they provide extra support and cushion across the center of the dog’s chest. In the case of sudden braking or an accident, the dog’s weight would be thrown against the front of the harness. Regular harnesses would not give the necessary support to keep the dog from injury and could even cause an injury to the dog’s legs, neck, or shoulders.

Harnesses are a good answer for those with small cars, large dogs, multiple dogs, or a combination of these things where keeping crates in the car for rides is not practical or possible. To use a harness, make sure that is adjusted to your dog and fits well. It should not be constricting or cause a painful bind for your dog in its “armpits”. You should be able to slip one or two fingers under the back and chest of the harness. The goal is to protect the dog, not make it uncomfortable, so make sure that he/she can stand up, lie down, and sit comfortably while wearing it. You will also need to get a secure way to tether your dog inside the car. I like products that snap into the seat belt receivers and clip onto the harness. Make sure that whatever method you use can withstand the force of your dog’s weight and is appropriate for use inside your car. The harness does no good if the tether breaks.

The tether also ensures that your dog will not escape if the car door is opened and that it can only reach a certain distance, giving paramedics a certain “safety zone” in which to operate around a frightened dog. Tethers can also be purposefully cut or disconnected and used as a temporary leash to remove the dog, or the dog could be grabbed and lifted by the harness instead of having to touch the dog directly. While not necessarily ideal, in the situation above, a harness and tether would allow for some distance and options for those trying to help.

Barriers/Dividers

Car barriers and dividers help keep your dogs from reaching you in the front seat, providing a confined area for them to be. This is very useful for reducing distractions on the road. Some dividers are custom fitted for your make and model of vehicle. Others are a “one size fits most” product. Some are very flimsy and provide minimum protection. The problem with dividers is that if not appropriately sized or installed, they become ineffective in the event of a crash. Your dogs may not push hard enough to dislodge them, but an accident might knock it free and then you’d have not only flying dogs, but also a large metal barrier to worry about. Some can be fitted and installed specifically for your car and may be able to withstand such an impact. While this does keep the front area of the car accessible in the event of a collision, the back would be cut off from the front, even for paramedics. They may need that leverage from the back seat and an intact barrier could restrict their options. Also, the dogs could escape if the doors were opened or if the glass was broken. The barrier only keeps them from flying out the windshield or jumping into the front seat. It is safer than having loose dogs in the car, however, there is nothing holding the dogs back from escape or inflicting harm. Of course, if the barrier is between the cabin and the cargo area of an SUV (as pictured) instead of between the front and back seats, the benefits increase dramatically. Based only on the situation above, the outcome would probably have been very similar to what it was without any restraint at all. Barriers can be very useful in some situations and are certainly safer than having dogs loose in the car, however they are limited in their ability to restrain the dogs in an open car.

Other tips

To ensure no difficulties on your drive, start getting your dog acclimated to the crate or harness long before they ever set foot in the car with it.

Never leave an animal unattended in a car.

A sticker, magnet or window cling that indicates there may be pets on board could help alert paramedics to the existence of your pet.

Carry a copy of your dog’s vet records with you in the car. In the event that your pet is injured, it would help not only to know the animal’s history but to contact the regular vet for additional information or questions. If you have to leave your pet in a kennel or boarding facility, you will also need those records, which is why they are particularly necessary when travelling.

Do not allow dogs to ride in the backs of pickups unrestrained. It is illegal in most areas. Even if the dog is restrained, road debris can cause serious injuries to a dog that isn’t protected by a crate.

If you get a custom crate for your car, be sure that it meets certain safety expectations before proceeding.

As much as dogs love it, it is probably not a good idea to let them stick their heads out of the window, especially if you're going very fast (40+ mph). If even a small piece of debris hits them in the face, it could hurt a lot and potentially cause serious problems. Also, if the window is open wide enough, the dog could jump out. We all think "my dog would never do that", and then they see that squirrel or other dog and out they go.

Not all products are made equal. Do your research before deciding on a brand. Children's car seats have a minimum standard that they have to pass. Products for dogs have no such standard. Make sure what you're getting will do the job that you expect of it.

I use a dog sling/hammock seat cover to protect my car since one of my dogs gets carsick on occasion. This is not an acceptable barrier or restraint. Though quite useful, they require an additonal measure to be safe. The same goes for the elevated seats for smaller dogs. Those seats are often seen in the front seat of cars, however, I believe they should be put in the back in case of air bag deployment.