Pet Travel: Safety in Cars
Judy Antell
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Keeping Furry Family Members Safe
If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, you never used a child restraint system and may have even ridden in cars without a seatbelt. My childhood drives were passed from the ‘way back’ of a station wagon and we didn’t own a cat or a dog carrier.
How things have changed. Child safety seats are required for infants, toddlers and boosters for young children. Seat belts are mandatory for most drivers and passengers. In fact, in the United States, only New Hampshire does not have a mandatory seat belt law.
Pet Travel
Dog properly restrained
For animals, it’s a different story. Many people ride with dogs on their laps, in the front passenger seat or anywhere the dog wants to go.
Changes Afoot
New Jersey requires pets to be restrained in a moving vehicles and if you think about it, having a dog walking around a car or sitting on a driver’s lap can be more distracting than making a phone call.
Arizona, Connecticut, Maine and Hawaii also do not allow dogs to ride in the driver’s lap.
We are raising a dog to be a Guide Dog and she is required (by the organization) to ride in the back seat, on the floor.
For smaller dogs, consider a restraint. There are seatbelts that work with a dog’s harness and the car’s seatbelt to safely travel with your dog.
How do you bring your dog in the car?