How to Keep Your Dog Safe on Road Trips

With the warm weather of spring and summer approaching, it’s more likely that you’ll be traveling with your canine companion for camping and road trips, as well as going to and from the park and running errands around town. When we think of car safety features, we often think of protecting humans in case of a crash. But there are several car features that also enhance vehicular safety for our four-legged family members, as well.

Automotive Safety Features

To ensure your dog stays safe on your next road trip, consider getting a car with these pet-friendly features:

• Privacy glass. Dogs can’t sweat—this is a fact. Privacy glass in the rear of the car helps to filter the sun and keep temperatures low, so your dog’s panting will be out of excitement, not heat. While the degree of tinting available to you may vary based on local laws, keeping the back of your car cool is essential if you plan on traveling with dogs.
• Multi-zone climate control. Most air conditioning systems are focused on maintaining comfort in the front seats of the car, but furry passengers need climate control as well. The ability to monitor and adjust the temperature in the back seat or cargo compartment is important for pets to remain comfortable and safe from overheating.
• Side curtain airbags. Front passenger airbags can be deadly for pets, but when a pet is properly secured in the rear seat, a side curtain airbag is an important safety feature in the event of a crash. Even if your pet travels in a carrier, a side airbag offers additional protection.

Car Accessories Made for Pets

If you frequently travel with your pet, consider adding these pet-friendly car accessories:

• Pet harnesses or restraints. Your needs will vary depending on the size of your dog, but pets shouldn’t travel unsecured any more than people should.
• Pet barrier. A pet barrier gives your dog freedom to move around while still containing them safely in the rear of your vehicle, preventing them from interfering with you during the drive.
• Mats and liners. Scratch-proof floor mats and seat liners are easy to clean and provide good traction for canine paws, helping to keep them balanced even around tight turns.

To order car accessories to accommodate your dog, be sure to visit a quality auto parts dealer. At our McCarthy dealerships, we not only perform full auto body repairs, we also install OEM car accessories for popular vehicle models.

Dog-Safety Driving Tips

Regardless of your car’s features, there are some important things you can do every day to ensure your pets travel in safety:

• Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle. Even in the shade on a cloudy day, cabin temperatures can rapidly reach unsafe levels, adding up to 40 degrees to the outside temperature. Dogs are highly susceptible to heat stroke, and it’s simply not worth the risk to run into the store for a gallon of milk.
• Always restrain your pet. This is a legal requirement in many states but should be standard practice everywhere. Allowing your pet freedom of movement inside a vehicle is unsafe behavior for a driver. Approximately 31% of people who drive with their dogs admit to being distracted by them, and 59% admit to engaging with their pet in distracted behavior while driving.
• Limit time “out the window.” While everyone knows that dogs love to ride with their head out the window, it’s a safety risk. The occasional rock or pebble that may chip your windshield can be a terrible injury for a dog, especially when driving at high speeds. Keep your pet fully inside the vehicle at all times to protect their precious little faces.

No matter where the road takes you and your tail-wielding best friend this summer, staying safe should be rule #1. Our Kansas City collision centers can repair most auto body damage, but there’s not much anyone can do if you fail to keep your dog protected during that next big adventure.