Pet Safety

Blissfully ignorant, 40 million Americans are carrying a 1,200-pound elephant in the back seat of their vehicles masquerading as the loyal family pet. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), an unsecured 60-pound dog during a 30-mph crash becomes a projectile that could hit a windshield, backseat or his owner with the force of 1,200 pounds. After years of safety campaigns, Americans buckle up their kids in the family vehicle, but most are unaware that the family pet is also at risk in a crash or panic stop.


How many times have drivers seen a small dog sitting on another driver's lap, looking out the window? Or spotted a cat traveling unrestrained on the rear shelf of a car? A sudden stop or an accident can turn that pet into a lethal projectile. The distraction of a pet roaming around the interior of a car or sitting in the driver's lap makes the controversy over cell-phone use while driving pale in comparison. A loose pet in a car can also escape and wind up in traffic when someone opens the door.


"There are many easy-to-use restraint devices, including harnesses and crates, which limit distractions and keep pets and others safe while traveling," said Funda Alp, spokesperson for APPMA, a not-for-profit trade group that educates the public about responsible pet care. Easy-to-use harnesses that attach to the vehicle's seatbelts are available beginning at under $20. Traveling crates that can be secured in the vehicle run from $60 to $200.


The 2000 Ford Focus offered a "Have Spot, Will Travel" package that included pet-safety harnesses that were bolted to the floor of the luggage area, but consumer response was so low that the feature was dropped. In a recent survey done by APPMA, less than 20 percent of dog owners own a halter or harness for their dogs, and the majority does not even own a kennel/cage or traveling crate. Cat owners are more restraint-minded with 57% owning and using a carrier when transporting their pet.

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