Barkle up: Protecting pets on board

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Sometimes, the roadkill is inside the car.

That’s the sad truth about pets and driving. Although every state but New Hampshire has laws mandating the use of safety belts for human passengers, and all 50 states require child restraints, there are virtually no statutes requiring protection for our furry companions while in the car (there are some laws requiring restraints for dogs in pickup beds).

The California state Senate is considering legislation that would prohibit people from carrying dogs or other animals on their laps while driving. That bill, as discussed here, already passed the state Assembly. It mandates a $35 fine for violators.

But even its passage may not be enough, says Christina Selter, co-founder of Bark Buckle Up, a San Diego-based nonprofit that educates drivers about safely transporting pets in vehicles. The only real solution, she says, is tethering.

Not only can untethered dogs get seriously injured in accidents, but 80-pound Dobermans and 4-pound Chihuahuas alike can become fearsome projectiles upon impact, hurtling through the air and possibly hurting passengers. (We’re not even going to mention the perils of flying pet porcupines.) On top of that, Selter says, ‘in a crash, a big problem is that first responders open the door, the pet runs out, it can bite someone, cause another crash or get hit by a car.’

Who knew driving Miss Fido could put so many lives on the line?

To address the species safety gap, Bark Buckle Up has been touring the country offering clinics, giving away pet safety kits that include crucial data such as allergy information and veterinarian contacts, and letting pet owners play with a range of harnesses, pet seats and tethers.

Selter says she will meet with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration next month to discuss adding pet-related statistics to the agency’s data on crashes resulting in property damage, bodily injury and death. Currently, there are no such statistics, governmental or otherwise.

What is known is that very few people restrain Rover in the car. According to a survey by the American Pet Product Manufacturers Assn., 21% of pet owners restrained their pets while driving in 2006, up from 20% in 2004, but only 12% used restraints that buckle up, a crucial safety component. And, says Selter, those statistics appear generous at best. A survey performed by Bark Buckle Up showed that only 2% to 3% of pet owners safely restrain their pets while driving. Yet traveling with pets has exploded in recent years as hotels have begun widely accepting animals.

So what can be done? Open your wallets, of course. The pet car safety industry is small but fast growing, and a gallery of harnesses, doggie GPS systems and cat car seats are coming on the market. There are even goggles for dogs who prefer riding with their heads out the window.

Note that government crash testing doesn’t cover pets, so very few of these have been tested in an official capacity.

Bark Buckle Up pays some of its bills from advertising by many such product manufacturers, and relies on Volvo, which produces the XC90, Bark Buckle Up’s 2008 ‘Petsafe Vehicle of Choice in America,’ to host its educational tour events.

The Bark Buckle Up tour hits Valencia on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Galpin Volvo. The following Saturday, it will be at Volvo of Santa Monica, and, Selter says, most likely at a Volvo dealership in Orange County the following weekend.

Perhaps the safest (though least fun) option? Leave your mutt at home. According to the pet product makers group, 16% of pet owners don’t put their animals in the car at all. Maybe it’s because they have white interiors.

-- Ken Bensinger

Photo (top): Kurgo Skybox booster seat. Credit: Kurgo

Photo (bottom): Pit bull in goggles. Credit: Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times