So Your dog doesn't like to ride in the back? Gets grumpy if you don't let him/her ride shotgun? TOUGH! Is your pet like your child? Would you think twice about buckling up your kids? Would you let a child ride in the front seat because it wants to? Let's just hope not!
DOG RIDING WITH HEAD OUT THE WINDOW HAZARDS
* Just because most ads for pet products and services use photography depicting a dog with its head hanging out the window DOES NOT MAKE IT COOL OR SAFE! It's bad and unsafe advertising at best!
* As beautiful as the great outdoors are – when viewed from the behind the windshield – dust, pollen, bugs, dirt, debris, gravel is kept in motion by winds and traffic. Depending on how fast you are driving, remember that what may seem harmless at 1-5 mph on a breezy walk can become a projectile when driving at speeds over 10-15 mph!
* The driver of your vehicle may side-swipe another car or object on the side of the road, or the dog may get dirt, gravel, etc. in his eyes or throat.
* Windshields are strong. It takes quite some force and speed to dent your windshield. Your pet's soft tissues (eyes, skin, ears, mouth, tongue, chest, etc) are slightly thicker than our skin yet nowhere near as strong as your car's windshield! Now imagine the damage that a tiny piece of gravel can do if instead of meeting the side window (or windshield) now impacts your pet's soft tissue!
* Large and medium sized dogs have been known to fit in incredibly small spaces. That is - small window openings while driving. Many pet parents underestimated their pet's prey drive and suddenly had to deal with an emergency stop to try and recover Fido who had leaped out to chase a cat, other dog, squirrel and other animals. Do not underestimate prey drive.
* Make sure to lock your car windows – driver side command button. You do not want to find half your dog sticking the window because it pressed the window button while driving on the beltway!
PET IN FRONT SEAT HAZARDS
* Airbags were not designed for dogs or children. Airbags are designed for adult humans.
* A dog's head is too low and may be as much as 15 inches closer to the dashboard than a human's when seated in the front passenger position.
* Airbags deploy from the dashboard at approximately 200-220 mph. If a passenger is hit by an airbag before it is fully inflated, the passenger may sustain serious injury or even death.
* The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that passengers' sit at least 12 inches away from the dashboard. National Statistics show that airbags may help prevent fatality by as much as 35% when used correctly. However, there were a significant amount of incidents in which some passengers were seriously or fatally injured after being seated in close proximity to a deploying airbag.
* Should the airbag fail to deploy, the pets head can get forcefully jammed through the windshield or in the space located between the windshield and the dashboard. Provided the force of impact either one scenario may lead to severe injury or death.
* The pet riding shotgun (front passenger seat) may become a distraction to the driver. Driver's attention should be to the road and incoming traffic only.
* Shotgun riding pet may cause additional injury to driver as it will become a rapidly travelling flying object upon side impact.
* Pet can leap across driver's lap to bark at something outside of the driver side window, leading driver to lose control of the car and get into an accident.
* After impact, a non restrained pet can run away – into traffic or away for good. In the event pet gets out of control, and jumps into traffic, accidents can happen. This places your pet and others at risk of severe bodily injury.
* First responders may be delaying your rescue to circumvent aggressive unrestrained pets (pet may want to protect you or itself if injured). Any injured pet may bite!
UNRESTRAINED PETS HAZARDS
* In the event of a sudden stop or accident, a dog can become a flying projectile that can injure you, your passengers or be thrown through the windshield.
* The pets head can get forcefully jammed under the driver or passenger seat causing additional physical damage to pet and making rescue efforts more difficult.
* The full body of the pet can be launched forward directly striking the driver and/or front passenger causing additional physical injury to vehicle passengers. The force of the motion forward can severely injury, disable and/or kill the pet.
* The full body of the pet can be launched forward and directly strike the windshield causing severe injury and/or death to pet.
* Unrestrained pets can distract the driver and cause an accident. Even pets that are normally well behaved could be frightened by something unusual and dive for the driver's feet or lap.
* Following a car accident, an unrestrained pet could escape and be hit by another vehicle or cause another collision. A frightened dog may attack strangers who are trying to help.
* In an accident, an unrestrained animal is dangerous to the human passengers as well. Even in an accident of only 30 mph, a 15-pound child can cause an impact of more than 675 pounds. A 60-pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, a windshield, or another passenger. Even if the animal survives, it can impede the progress of rescue workers for whom every moment is precious.
* Pet can leap across driver's lap to bark at something outside of the driver side window, leading driver to lose control of the car and get into an accident.
* After impact, a non restrained pet can run away – into traffic or away for good. In the event pet gets out of control, and jumps into traffic, accidents can happen. This places your pet and others at risk of severe bodily injury.
* First responders may be delaying your rescue to circumvent aggressive unrestrained pets (pet may want to protect you or itself if injured). Any injured pet may bite!
PET RIDING IN PICKUP TRUCK BED AREA HAZARDS
* Riding free in the bed area of a pickup truck can create a dangerous situation for the dog and other drivers if your dog falls out or decides to jump out.
Some dog owners believe that their dog would never jump out of the truck!
JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET DOES NOT MEAN IT WON'T!
Dogs are creatures of instinct, and may not be able to contain their excitement if they see a rabbit, squirrel, or another dog, etc., on the side of the road.
* Dogs that ride without restraints in the pickup bed may also go flying if you stop short and suddenly and or accelerate abruptly or take quick short corners. Tying the dog in the bed is not a good idea either as the dog may still jump or fall out and wind up being choked or dragged along the road! The best and safest solution is to have your dog ride in the cab of the truck with you while restrained by a harness, in a secured crate and/or by using a secure barrier inside the cab area.
* Once off the truck bed, the jump, fall and/or landing of pet on road may distract other drivers and cause accidents as drivers lose control, swerve to avoid pet or sudden breaking car.
PETS RIDING ON DRIVERS LAP HAZARDS
* Airbags deploy from the dashboard at approximately 200-220 mph. If a passenger is hit by an airbag before it is fully inflated, the passenger may sustain serious injury or even death.
* The pet can slide off the driver's lap and get jammed between pedals and the engine block in frontal collisions, adding harm to pet and impeding rescue efforts.
* The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that passengers' sit at least 12 inches away from the dashboard. National Statistics show that airbags may help prevent fatality by as much as 35% when used correctly. However, there were a significant amount of incidents in which some passengers were seriously or fatally injured after being seated in close proximity to a deploying airbag.
* Pets on laps can distract the driver and cause an accident. Even pets that are normally well behaved could be frightened by something unusual and dive for the driver's feet or lap.
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