When you do everything with your pet, having your best friend join you in the car might not seem like a big deal. However, letting your pet roam, unrestrained, in your moving vehicle is actually quite dangerous for you and them.
Understanding the reasons why you should practice care when traveling with your pet may incentivize you to develop and maintain safe habits.
Increased distraction and stress
If you regularly allow your pet to roam while you drive chances are you have had situations where you experience momentary distraction when your pet moves. If you have, you are not alone. Cars.com shared data from a study that reported that distraction doubles when you do not restrain your pet in the car. The survey revealed that pet owners who restrained their animals spent an average of 99 minutes distracted compared with 219 minutes distracted for pet owners who did not restrain their animals. The number of unsafe driving behaviors exhibited were 274 for owners with restrained pets versus 649 for owners with unrestrained pets.
The study also revealed that your stress level can increase significantly when you allow your pet to roam. You may feel more concerned about your pet getting in your way or getting into something you do not want them to get into.
Protecting what you care about
While you should never allow your pet to ride in the front seat and absolutely not allow your pet to sit on your lap while you drive, there are plenty of safe ways to travel with your best friend. Many pet supply stores sell pet safety restraints that can make your traveling experience safer and more convenient.
