Paul Dreher Director of Personal Insurance View Bio

With the summertime road-trip making a comeback and more and more destinations becoming pet friendly, vacations have come to include the family dog. Before you head out on the road, make sure to follow these rules to keep you, Fido, and your passengers safe in the car.

Confirm Your Dog’s ID Information is Correct
Before traveling, properly identify your pet in case you get separated during your trip. If they do not already have an ID tag on their collar, many pet stores will make one for you on the spot. Be sure to include the dog’s name, your name and contact info, as well as a backup contact. It’s best to have your pet microchipped for identification and keep your information updated on the provider’s website.

Keep Your Dog’s Head Inside the Vehicle
Although it may be entertaining to watch your dog enjoy the wind in their face and their ears blowing back, remember that their eyes are just as vulnerable as ours to road debris. Rocks, dirt, and other small particles can severely injure your dog’s eyes and face so be sure to keep their heads inside the vehicle. If you just can’t bear to prohibit your canine’s simple pleasure, provide them with eye protection!

Keep Your Dog Restrained in the Backseat
This is for the safety of the dog and everyone in the car. In the case of a 25 mph crash, a dog’s forward force is equal to 40 times it’s body weight! That kind of force can cause severe injury, and even death, to both the dog and anyone in its path.

Other reasons to restrain them in a crate or with a dog seat belt (attaches to their harness and clips into the vehicle’s seat belt) is to prevent them from jumping out of the car and to reduce the amount of distraction to the driver.

Also remember that dogs are safest in the backseat, not the front. Just as children can get injured or die from airbags, so can dogs.

Never Leave Your Dog Alone in a Hot Car
Lastly, there is never a safe time to leave a dog alone in a car on a hot day. A vehicle parked in 70 degree weather can reach 100 degrees in 20 minutes. Dogs left to pant for too long, in an effort to lower their body temperature, can suffer from heatstroke and even death.

31 states have laws against leaving an animal in a car, with 15 of those states allowing any good samaritan to rescue a distressed animal. Consequences to neglectful owners can equal a traffic citation or even a felony conviction for animal cruelty with fines up to $20,000 and prison term of 16-36 months.

Contact us for more helpful tips and personal insurance recommendations.