This article was written by Sue France, who works in Brand Management at AAA's national office.
Car travel with my dog has always been a big deal. Not because Schotzie is a big dog. She’s a 24-pound miniature schnauzer. But, as much as I hate to admit it, my sweet little Schotzie has never been very well-behaved when riding in the car. Knowing this, I have always used the seat belts to strap her hard-sided crate in the back seat. It’s not that easy to do, but strapping her crate in provides a secure way to cut down on doggie distractions when we travel locally or farther.
Recently, I decided to try something different. I had been reading some articles about pet restraint systems, and how simple and convenient they can be for dogs of all sizes. With research in hand, I set out to buy the 'right' system for Schotzie.
For our next outing, I placed her in the restraint harness. The trip started out pretty well, but not too long after we were on the road, Schotzie started whining and wiggling. So much for cutting down on distractions. I kept turning around to see what was going on in the back seat, while trying to reassure my dog that everything was OK. Well, I must have been very distracted and going a little too fast because the next thing I knew, I saw blue lights flashing in my rearview mirror. I pulled over and by the time the policeman walked up to my car, Schotzie had completely wiggled out of the harness and was growling and barking at the nice policeman.
(The worst part about her freeing herself was that she actually jumped off the seat, and the restraint strap wasn’t long enough to reach the floor which created a strangulation device.)
Anyway, I tried to calmly explain that I was using a new pet travel restraint system, but that it had backfired. Guess who else started crying at that point? So much for the calm, cool approach. Through my sobs, I said, “I was just trying to do something good. Distracted driving is such a big problem.” I was very relieved that he ended up letting me off with a warning.
As it turns out, this series of unfortunate events coincided with the launch of the new site for AAA pet parents:
PetSpot.AAA.com. Recognizing the important relationship between AAA members and their pets, pet passenger safety is an important focus of PetSpot.AAA.com.
Here are a couple important tips that I learned there:
• Restraint systems that limit a pet’s ability to distract the driver, restrict pet movement in the crash, and mitigate crash forces, such as those utilizing seat belts, are best to use. (I was on the right track, but the harness was too big.)
• Padded harnesses with sturdy connectors and straps are available to connect to a vehicle’s seatbelt or latch system. Both hard- and soft-sided crates can be used in vehicles, but should always be strapped down. Pet car seats or basket-style holders can be used with smaller dogs. (I may continue to strap in my hard-sided crate since my dog seems more secure with this option.)
After this experience, I am even more committed to making sure that my dog is properly secured before I hit the road with her. I hope you’ll do the same. Happy tails – I mean, trails!
