Adam here with Quad Cities Pet Buddy. It has been a while since our last blog and it's getting around the time for seasons to change, flowers to bloom, and warm weather to bring us all back outside in the Quad Cities! With this comes adventures, more time spent with our buddies in the park, and more time driving to get to them.
I wanted to address a common situation that we all face when we pack up our vehicles with camping gear, family, and our pets. We all love sitting in front of the t.v. at home and letting our buddies cuddle up on our sides or our laps, but many of us take this to the next level and also let our buddies sit in our laps while driving. While they may love the attention and you love the affection from your dog this immediately becomes a distraction and a danger, and the dangers far outweigh the positives you may feel while doing so.
When you have your buddy on your lap (from small dogs to big) they immediately begin to block your range with the steering wheel. This causes issues with small things such as switching lanes, using turn signals, following a curved road, avoiding other accidents, or even making turns from one street to another. This also causes you to have more blind spots, and slows your reaction time because your first instinct is not to correct your driving, it is to take care of the dog in your lap. In my close call accident the other day the man driving couldn't adjust his driving while backing up out of a drive way slowly. He had to hit the brakes, turn his wheel sharply, switch gears (reverse to forward), and he almost ran himself off the road. The part that stuck out to me was if the dog wasn't on his lap (he had company in the passenger seat who could have held his buddy) he would have been able to see me from simply looking out of his window and the near accident could have been avoided. Unfortunately, with the dog on his lap he was overwhelmed and it was almost an unnecessary accident. Another near accident (in the same 24 hours) came from someone with another dog on her lap who actually never saw that she almost hit me while pulling out in front of me onto a busy street. Had the dog not been in her lap hanging out of the window she may have saw me and waited for me to pass. 
This is also dangerous for your buddy. Statistics show that "A pet that weighs 50 pounds, in a 35 mph collision, is projected forward like a cannonball with 1,500 pounds of force, and that can cause critical injuries to the folks in the front seat." And this is happening. While there are no records that report just how many accidents are caused by unrestrained pets, the reports are continuing to rise. And, if your pet isn't on your lap, but in your front seat unrestrained, this becomes just as dangerous for you and your pet. Things that were not harmful before hurt or endanger your buddy now. Even coming to a quick stop (due to a yellow light or another motorist needing to turn suddenly) can send your dog (who is much closer to the dashboard than you) into the dashboard and cause damage to his or her face. These situations also take a mental toll of your buddy. It causes anxiety (which will lead them to trying to sit on your lap while driving even more), and stress. Even further, relating back to my last blog post, it confuses your buddy. If you are not walking around carrying your pet, or allowing him to jump on you in your home, etc. why would you let him do it in your car? This takes away the consistency in your training and your life and causes the dog to act out more. Remember, dogs need your consistency to know where they stand and that they are in a safe and trusted environment.
This has become such a noted issue that now cities and states are beginning to fine the owners of dogs who do not restrain them in vehicles. According to OldDogCareGuide.com, in New Jersey "Drivers who do not secure their pet can face a ticket of $250 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Additionally, allowing your pets to hang his head out the window, having him riding in the back of a truck or curling up on the driver’s lap are also ticket-able offenses under the law." These types of fines are becoming more and more common, as the reports of accidents increase.
Luckily we have options. There are many companies who design custom fit harnesses for your buddy that keep them safe and secure in your backseat. These ensure that you can get your buddy where he or she needs to go (even if it is just a ride in the car) without the dangers that come with sitting in the front seat or on your lap unrestrained. I like to look at it this way: you would always ensure your child is secure in the back seat with booster seats or seat belts, let's do this for our pets, too. Check out our links to see what works best for you. Remember to take over the vehicle, be responsible and take care of your buddy the way he or she needs to be taken care of! Thanks for reading!Animal.Disconvery.com 5 Best car Seats for Small Dogs
TheUncommonDog.com-Car-Harnesses
PetAutoSafety.com- Car Seat Belts
Quad Cities Pet Buddy provides a "taxi" service for our clients who can't fit appointments into their busy schedule or for who don't have the capabilities themselves. We advocate safety, and to us that means keeping your buddies in our back seat restrained with harnesses or even kennels. And, even our kennels get a seat belt as the kennels themselves can be thrown if ever there were an accident.
We invite comments and interaction so we would love to here your thoughts!
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More reading
University of Iowa Study
Consumer Affairs_ Bark Buckle Up
Field and Stream- Does Your Dog Ride in the Front Street?
L.A. Unleashed
PetTravel.com- Pet Harness Safety
