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Pets and Road Safety Louise Stapleton-Frappell presents tips on the safest ways to transport pets, both large and small, in a private vehicle
© Louise StapletonFrappell
© Can Stock Photo/AndreyPopov
Larger animals like Phoebe can travel more safely in a crate that is positioned horizontally in their guardians’ car
A dog’s car harness can also be secured via a car seat belt attachment to try to avoid the pet flying forward into the front seat in the event of an accident
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the comfort and safety of both the pet, other car occupants and road users. Much will depend on the size of the pet and the space in the car.
n this article, I will discuss how to best and most safely transport pets in private vehicles. As I am based in Spain, I am going to take a look specifically at the regulations by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) (Department of Traffic). While regulations in other countries will obviously vary (so please check your local legislation), the issue of keep ing pets safe when traveling in vehicles is largely universal and so the tips provided here can be applied no matter where you are. In Spain, the Código de Tráfico y Seguridad de la DGT (Traffic Safety Code of the Department of Traffic) states that a vehicle driver is obliged to maintain his own freedom of movement, necessary field of vision, and permanent attention on driving, so as to guarantee the safety of the driver, any passengers and other road users. The Traffic Safety Code also states that special care should be taken to maintain adequate position ing of objects and animals so that they do not interfere with the driver. From this, it is clear that if we travel with our dog in the car, the dog should be secured so that he will not fall, move around or in any way distract the driver or obstruct the field of vision. The DGT does not specify which accessories should be used to ensure
If a crate is not a viable option, the pet’s car harness should be secured via a car seat belt attachment or a short leash attached to a secure point in the floor (many vehicles have strong attachments rings in the floor). This will promote the safety of the pet and other car occupants in the event of sudden braking or an accident.
Safety First To demonstrate the necessity of safely securing pets while travelling, the Royal Automobile Club of Spain (RACE) carried out a series of crash tests in which they simulated a frontal collision at 50 km/h (31 mph), using a dog dummy weighing 22 kg (48.5 lbs) and a human driver dummy. RACE concluded that the safest way to transport a pet is in a pet carrier (crate). For small dogs and cats, the crate is best located on the floor of the car. For larger dogs, it is preferable to locate the crate in a horizontal position in the back of the car, behind a dividing dog guard/grille (Dirección General de Tráfico, 2013). If a crate is not a viable option, the pet’s car harness should be se cured via a car seat belt attachment or a short leash attached to a se cure point in the floor (many vehicles have strong attachments rings in the floor). This will promote the safety of the pet and other car occu pants in the event of sudden braking or an accident. The following list summarizes the efficiency of the different safety options that were tested by RACE (Dirección General de Tráfico, 2013):
Efficiency of Retention Systems
#1. Loose Animal: The worst scenario possible is the animal lying in the back seat. In the event of an accident, the animal will fly forward against the front seat headrests. Human occupants and animal could suffer serious injuries and even death.
#2. Harness with One Attachment Point: Harness attached to car 46
BARKS from the Guild/July 2020
