Traveling with pets has never been more popular amongst pet parents. Traveling by car is by far the most common mode of pet travel and dogs are the most frequent travelers. “Want to go for a ride?” is music to a dog’s ears. They go just about everywhere with their parents…running errands around town, to beaches and parks, going on family vacations, and staying in pet friendly hotels. If pets are welcome – they come along! Unfortunately, most pet parents do not properly secure their pets when riding with them in their vehicles. They love their pets and would do anything for them…but probably don’t realize that they are putting their pets at great risk.
Did you know that at only 35 mph, a 60 lb. pet becomes a 2,700 pound projectile and that unsecured pets commonly escape from vehicles and run off post-accident? How often are you distracted by your excited or rambunctious pet while driving? Did you know that driver distraction causes more accidents than anything else?
Securing your pet during car travel is essential to ensuring their safety. There are many ways to properly secure your pet in a vehicle. Buckling them up in pet seat belt is a very easy and affordable way to help ensure that your pet stays safe while traveling in your vehicle. Pet seat belts range in price from about $9 – $40. They come in different sizes to accommodate most all sized pets and most are adjustable.
Most pet seat belts attach onto your vehicle’s seat belt. Some come with leads that have a buckle at one end that fits into your vehicle’s seat belt receptacle, and the other end of the lead has a clip that attaches onto your pet’s harness. Other pet seat belts have leads that have a loop at one end in which you put your vehicle’s seat belt strap through and the other end has a clip which attaches to a harness. If you choose to give your pet more freedom in the back seat, you can get a pet seat belt that has a zip line which attaches between the two rear passenger side handles, creating a tether which attaches to your pet’s harness.
No matter what type of pet seat belt you choose, you must always use a harness – never a collar. A collar can easily choke or strangle your pet if you stop fast or are in an accident. In addition, pet’s should never ride in the front seat. Deployed airbags can seriously injure pets.
With pet travel growing by leaps and bounds, pet parents must step up and be sure to take the necessary measures to ensure their pet’s safety – pet seat belts are an effective way to do this. Safe travels and please buckle up your precious pets!
About TripsWithPets.com
TripsWithPets.com is the #1 online resource for pet travel. Named best pet travel site by Consumer Reports, TripsWithPets.com‘s mission is to offer resources that ensure pets are welcome, happy, and safe while traveling. The website features a directory of pet friendly hotels and accommodations across the United States and Canada, as well as airline & car rental pet policies; pet friendly restaurants, beaches, and events; a user-friendly route search option; pet travel tips; pet travel supplies; and other pet travel resources.
About the Author Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TripsWithPets.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular web site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the US and Canada, along with other helpful pet travel resources. Her mission is to ensure that pets are welcome, happy, and safe in their travels.