KU EHS October Safety Tip: Avoiding Distractions while Driving with Pets

If your pet is loose in the car, they might do something unpredictable or extra adorable — and that can be a big problem. When “you see someone in the driver’s seat with a small dog on their lap, that is obviously such a big distraction and such a big risk factor for causing a crash,” said Molly Racette, a veterinarian and professor of emergency and critical care at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Distracted driving contributed to 13% of all car crashes in 2023 (the most recent federal data available) and led to 3,275 deaths. Some of these stats are related to phones, car controls, and other issues. But I mention them because it’s all too easy to become absorbed in whatever cuteness or wacky mischief your furry co-pilot may be getting up to in the car.

If you got into a crash, or even if you had to stop short, an unrestrained pet could go flying. And a pet can turn into a little cannonball, which could potentially cause harm to them, to you, and to other passengers. “The safest thing is going to be for the dog to be in a crate because then they won’t become a projectile if there is a crash,” said Becca Bell, national program project manager at Canine Companions, which raises and trains service dogs.

Airbags can also injure your best little friend, so pets shouldn’t ride shotgun, either, even if you do have them in a carrier, according to Racette.

If you use a kennel, you want to make sure it’s “connected to the vehicle, always, with a strength-rated anchor strap,” said Lindsey Wolko, founder of the nonprofit Center for Pet Safety (CPS), which does independent crash-testing. (Yes, it does crash-testing for pets.)

Many larger kennels — even those that aren’t crash-tested — usually have a way for you to strap them into a car or SUV. Still, your car may be the biggest point of failure here. When I realized my car’s plastic tie-down hooks weren’t strong enough to keep my dog’s kennel from shifting around, I got creative and threaded the straps through the rigid metal anchors meant for attaching child car seats.

If your soft-sided carrier hasn’t been crash-tested, or it doesn’t have secure attachment hardware, your best bet is to put it on the floor behind the front seats to keep it from shifting around.

If your pet isn’t used to being in a carrier or kennel, you should give them time to acclimate to it before you hit the road. Set it up at home and leave the doors or flaps open. Put food and treats in the carrier and throw a mini party every time they venture inside. You want them to see the carrier as their safe, happy place, not as a portable jailhouse.

You should also make sure your pet has enough airflow and that they don’t get too hot or too cold. My old car didn’t have rear climate-control vents, so I used something called the Noggle to direct cool air into Dave’s kennel. But a portable fan can also help circulate the air in the back.

If your pet can’t be contained, use a crash-tested harness

If you have a big dog but no room for a kennel that will fit her, or if your pet just won’t accept a carrier (confinement anxiety is a thing), you can try a crash-tested harness that attaches to the rear seat belt. These can be tricky to adjust, but once you’ve got them dialed in, they can help to keep your pooch safely in place.

I’d stay away from the cheap tethers that attach to your regular harness. They’re not designed for impact and usually haven’t been crash-tested, so we don’t know how they’ll hold up under stress.

I hate to be the grim reaper coming for your dog’s special joy, but you know how your dog loves to hang his head out the window. Yeah, you should stop letting him do that, too.

Racette’s clinic sees “a fair number of dogs who fall or jump out of those windows and get trauma that way,” she told me. And, according to Brandi Hunter Munden, VP of PR and communications at the American Kennel Club, even if your dog is restrained well enough to prevent a fall, they could get an eye injury from road debris.

There are some state laws on constraining pets in cars, but there are no federal regulations. To guide your thinking, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself: Would I let a human kid wander loose in the backseat, ride shotgun, or sit on my lap while I drive?

Over two decades, I’ve taken dozens of road trips with our old cats (may they rest in treats) and now a dog. And I’ve been guilty of doing every single thing I just told you not to do.

But ever since I changed my ways, I feel so much better traveling now that my dog is secure in his kennel. If you want to keep everyone as safe as possible when you’re on the road together, don’t let your pets ride loose — even if it means enduring hours of mournful yowling.