Dog Seatbelts

Accidents happen all the time. No matter how much of a safe driver you are or how much control you display while on the road, you can’t always account for circumstances and other people’s behavior. Therefore, the only defensive measure you can take against these things you have no control over is precaution.

Safety measures such as the wearing of seatbelts is one precaution you can take. But what about your dog? What safety measure can you take to keep him or her away from harm? Sometimes the solution is so obvious it’s right in our face.

Dog seatbelts function just like any regular seat belt for humans. They are not forms of “restraint” in the regular sense, so don’t be fooled by the thought that you are unnecessarily restraining your dog by letting him wear a dog car seat belt. It is for your own good and for your dog’s as well.

Here are the reasons why dog seat belts are advised by many dog owners around the world:

Prevent Distraction
The primary purpose of a seat belt for dogs is to prevent distraction to the occupants in a vehicle, especially the driver. According to a recent AAA study, unrestrained pets and loose objects are the third worst sources of distraction while driving in a car. In fact, they are considered worse than talking on the cellphone, listening to the radio or CD player, and children. And in 2000, more 1.5 million accidents in the US were due to distractions while driving.

These figures should be enough proof of the role that dog seatbelts play in safe driving.

Protection
Of course, you want your dog to be safe. Buster is practically a member of the family now. While your heart bleeds seeing Buster confined or restrained to the seat, you have to convince yourself that it is for his own good. Just think. You wouldn’t drive with your child without seatbelts on, would you? So treat your dog like you would treat your own family and let him or her wear dog seatbelts.

Dog seatbelts helps absorb the force that results in a 30 mph collision. By evenly distributing the load over the stronger areas of the body, dog seat belt restraints can help protect critical areas such as the head and the neck.

In a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is said that the most effective means of reducing serious injuries and fatalities during traffic crashes is the use of seat belts. According to the same report, ¾ of vehicle passengers who get ejected out during a car accident are killed.
So keep your dog safe and away from harm by having him or her wear dog seatbelts.

Make Rescue Easier
Dogs that survive an accident are often too much in shock to understand what is going on. A rescue worker coming to save them might be viewed as an attacker, the person who caused the accident. As a result, they would bite, act aggressive, or plain attack the person who only came to help them. Police officers have said that they have had to shoot down dogs because of situations like this.

You can try to make it easier for rescue workers to help your dog by using dog seatbelts. A sturdy dog seat belt keeps your dog restrained, even after an accident. Rescue workers have a much better chance of helping your dog if it is not in the position to attack or bite them with no additional provocation.

Prevent Runaways
The shock of an accident can make even the most well-behaved dogs want to run away from it all. A place far from home is the worst place you can lose your dog. By letting him or her wear a dog seat belt, you can prevent this from happening.