Veterinarian-written / veterinarian-approved articles for your dog.

Restrain Your Dog While Driving

Use a seatbelt, crate, or booster seat restraint for your dog in the car.

Many people allow their dog to sit or lie down freely on the front or back seat while they are driving. Unfortunately, this is a dangerous practice for both your dog and you.

Risks of Having Unrestrained Dogs in a Moving Vehicle

These are the major risks involved with having a dog that isn't restrained by a seat belt, crate, or booster seat while you're driving:

  • Serious injury to the dog in a crash. It goes almost without saying that a dog that isn't secured in a moving car could suffer unnecessary injury or death during a crash, even a minor one.
  • Serious injury to the driver and passengers during a crash. A dog that isn't secured could crash into people in the car during an accident, injuring or killing them.
  • Distraction for the driver. People are distracted in numerous ways by their dogs while driving. From petting, talking to, taking pictures of, and allowing their dog to climb on them to look out the window, a dog may be more distracting than a mobile phone.
  • Eye injury from hanging out of windows. Dogs with a habit of hanging their heads out of the open windows of a moving car frequently suffer eye injuries from flying dirt and debris.
  • Serious injury or death from jumping out of a window or the back of a truck. It's a commonly held belief that a dog won't jump out of a moving car or the back of a pickup truck when they see something interesting. However, this belief has been disproven thousands of times. Some dogs will jump out of moving cars, resulting in severe injury or death.

You can see the results of AAA surveys about pets and driving here: http://exchange.aaa.com/safety/roadway-safety/pet-passenger-safety/#.WFlcnPkrJnI

Restrain Your Dog While Driving

If your dog is small enough, always put him in a carrier or crate while driving. The carrier or crate should be on the floor of the vehicle, to minimize the chances of it flying around during a crash.

You can use a canine seatbelt or restraint harness for your dog, to secure him in his seat so you can drive safely.

A small or medium-sized dog may fit in a booster seat. This is great for a dog that likes to look out the window, but it still keeps him secure and safer.

You May Also Like These Articles:

How Do You Stop a Dog from Barking?

Things We Do That Annoy Our Dogs - Slideshow

How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Your New Dog

How to Stop Your Dog from Jumping on People

Destructive Chewing In Dogs

Petting vs. Praise: Which Does a Dog Like Best?

Most Popular Dog Breeds - Slideshow

Why Dogs Like to Roll in Yucky Stuff


Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at DogHealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site. Just Answer is an external service not affiliated with DogHealth.com.

Notice: Ask-a-Vet is an affiliated service for those who wish to speak with a veterinary professional about their pet's specific condition. Initially, a bot will ask questions to determine the general nature of your concern. Then, you will be transferred to a human. There is a charge for the service if you choose to connect to a veterinarian. Ask-a-Vet is not manned by the staff or owners of DogHealth.com, and the advice given should not delay or replace a visit to your veterinarian.