Canadians spend millions of dollars on food, toys and entertainment for their pets each year, surprisingly we have a blind spot when it comes to pet safety in the car. To ensure the safety of both you and your pets in the car it is essential to make sure your animals are restrained properly. This means using a chest harness in conjunction with the car seat belt.
There are several reasons why we must use proper restraint systems for our animals.
Seatbelts save lives: We know this is true for humans. The force of a collision, even at speeds as low as 30km an hour can fatally injure any unsecured pet that hits the dashboard or windshield.
Driver distraction: It is dangerous to have your pet unrestrained in the car. They can cause a distraction by jumping onto your lap or even interfering with the pedals.
Unsecured pets become projectiles in an accident: At speeds of approximately 60km/hour an unrestrained pet can become a projectile flying through your car with the force of 20 times its weight. Obviously this is not good for your pet, but it is also extremely unsafe for all the human occupants of the car.
Liz Bradley is a dog lover who lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband,