Car Safety for Animals and Their Humans

It’s the season to lasso your family into the mini-van to visit with the in-laws, grandparents, and everyone in-between. And if you can’t find a kennel or someone to pet sit, you might also have a furry friend or two tagging along with you. We all know the image of a dog sitting shotgun, with its face out the window, ears flapping and tongue hanging out of its mouth. But a good pet owner follows key safety tips to keep their fur babies happy, safe, and more importantly, alive.

Too Short to Ride Shotgun

Children up to 80 pounds are required by law to sit in a booster seat in the back seat. Most pets don’t weigh as much, even your fat chihuahua, but people will let them sit up front without any safety equipment. If you stop short or have an accident the airbag will deploy and cause a critical or fatal injury to your furry one. Keeping your pets in the back seat with a proper harness will ensure their safety.

Prevent Distraction

Unless you have a genius and alien pet, they have not been to driving school. Don’t let them be a backseat driver. A pet in the car can be incredibly distracting. Keeping it out of sight can means less accidents.

Safety for Man’s Best Friend

For a dog, especially those too big for a crate, a harness is a good solution. Harnesses attach to seat belts and go around the dog’s chest, back and front legs. This supports the dog, rather than choking it or giving it whiplash. For those who do not want to tie down their pet but also want to keep sharp claws and wet mouths away, an option is a fabric partition that fits between the front seats. Not only can you avoid distraction, but it also keeps your pet from the danger of a short stop and flying into the windshield.

Safety for Man’s Good Acquaintance

Cats and smaller animals are safest in a secured carrier in the second row of the car (on the floor, not the seat). Birds, reptiles and other smaller animals are usually transported in a cage or carrier. Sturdy crates keep your pet comfortable, and a crate in the back seat will be less distracting to the driver.

You can help protect your pets from injury when driving by following these safety tips. You can also protect your family with affordable car insurance. Good2Go Auto Insurance offers minimum limits car insurance that is fast, easy, and cheap and will get you driving for less up front – with low down payments and convenient payment plans. For a free, no-obligation quote, visit www.good2go.com.