With summer at its peak, there’s nothing better than getting out on the highway for an epic roadtrip – and of course, bringing your furry friend along is a must.  However, before you load up the cooler, taking a few minutes to think about safety with your dog in the car could literally be a life-saving endeavor.

There are two key things you need to consider when driving with your dog:  Distraction Prevention and Crash Protection.  Let’s take a look at each:

With regards to distraction prevention, looking away from the road for only two seconds doubles your risk of being in a crash, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.  A 2011 study by AAA provides some sobering facts about traveling in the car with your dog:

• 72% of dogs travel unrestrained in a moving vehicle
• 65% of dog-owning drivers admit petting or holding down their dog, reaching back, feeding treats, and other distracting behaviors
• Only 16% of dog owners who have driven with their pet use some form of restraint while their dog is in the vehicle

In terms of crash protection, consider these facts from the same AAA study:

• An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph will exert roughly 500 pounds of force, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert approximately 2400 pounds of force – this is highly dangerous for the animal, and for any other occupants of the vehicle
• 18% of respondents who drive with a dog in the vehicle also have children under the age of 13 who ride with them. 7 in 10 of these motorists have driven with a child and an unrestrained dog in the vehicle at the same time
• Similar to a young child, the front airbag system in a vehicle can be deadly to a dog during a crash if sitting in the front seat, even if restrained

All of this is to say that driving with pets can be dangerous for both you and your number-one pal. Not only are pets natural-born distracters, they can be seriously injured — and can seriously injure you — if not properly restrained. And if you’re in an accident after your pet distracts you, you could be held liable for the damages.

Here at EzyDog, our #1 priority has always been to create products that help us live an active and outdoor lifestyle with our pets – and an important part of that is safely traveling with our dogs to experience these adventures.  We’ve created and tested the following products to address both distraction prevention and crash protection to keep you and your best friend safe on the road:

Drive Dog Car Harness – Crash tested and certified in the USA, Europe and Australia, the Drive Dog Car Harness is the ultimate in dog car safety.  It has everything you would expect from a high-end dog harness including:  double d rings for leash

attachment, webbed handles to easily manage your dog and a simple one-time fit that locks in easily using the Mag-Lock Instant Fit Closure system. Simply feed the seat belt through both webbing handles on the top of the harness, click the buckle into the seat belt of your car and you’re ready for the road.  Other features:

• We have used only the strongest and high quality materials in this product. The Tri-Glides are made from Aluminum Alloy, so they are light, durable and incredibly strong
• All webbing is made from vehicle-tested seat belt webbing and the Crosslink™technology ensures that the harness is the ultimate in strength
• The Chest Plate section is padded and contoured to mold to the shape of the dog for a custom fit

Dog Seat Belt

Dog Seat Belt Restraint – If you already have a harness you love (we recommend an Ezydog dog harness), this can be a great add-on to keep your pooch restrained in the car.  Easy to use and inexpensive, this is a great choice to keep your dog restrained and prevent driver distraction.  Caution:  while an excellent choice for preventing driver distraction, this restraint (and the adjustable version) is not designed for crash protection.

Click Adjustable Dog Seat Belt Restraint – This innovative restraint clicks directly into your seatbelt buckle receiver and is adjustable so you can give your dog as much back-seat freedom as needed.  Fully compatible with all dog harnesses that have integrated d-ring attachments, this will safely and securely keep your pooch restrained to the back seat.

Whether you’re taking that epic road trip you’ve always dreamed about or just out and about running errands, having your furry friend along for the ride makes it better.  Ensure that your pooch, your other passengers and you are safe before you hit the road.  Click to see all of EzyDog’s dog car safety products.

Now Go and Play!