PET SAFETY?
Safety, is it just for people? When we get into a vehicle first we buckle up our children then we buckle up ourselves. Why did we just let our pet jump in and remain unsecured? We do not tend to think about the fact that at if a person can get injures or killed in a vehicle accident so can our beloved pets. Not only can our pets get killed or injured but they can kill the other occupants in the vehicle by flying into them with a pretty hard force ( it does not take only an accident but a pretty hard stop. ) A pet that is roughly 50pnds and going roughly 30mph will hit an object in front of it with approximately 1,500pnds of force. The ratios are different for lighter or heavier pets and different speeds but that gives a more factual idea of what force results from our pets hitting an object in their path of flight. The mental trauma can also be equally bad for our pets as it is for us.
Our pets could also be the cause of a vehicle accident when unsecured. They can distract us from our driving by jumping in front of our view, jumping down where the gas and break pedals are, trying to get out of a window, and trying to get into something we do not want them in. We may feel our pets would never behave like that ( either because they have never acted like that or they are supposed to be really well trained ) the real question to ask ourselves is "can we prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that our pets will not act like an animal"? We tend to humanize our pets but the fact is that they are animals.
There are many ways to secure our pets in a vehicle. Crating is one of the best methods ( as long as it is secured correctly ) because it also helps protect our pets form loose flying objects. There are harnesses that work with the seat belts to secure them and keep them where they belong and keep's them from flying into an object in the case of an accident. There are many styles and types of these harnesses at both pet stores and online. We can get barriers to keep our pets from having free roam of the vehicle which would be better than nothing but they do not stop a pet from flying into an object. Holding our pets in our arms is not effective at all. If a pet wants out (of a window) they are going to go if they want badly enough. If we get into an accident our mind and body is going to react to protect itself not our pets. That means either or pets can slip out of our arms and hit what is in front of them or we could actually crush them ourselves. Pets do tend to feel more at ease when they are properly secured.
Some other things to think about is if an unsecured pet gets out they could get hit running into traffic, run off and get hurt or killed by something else, or never be found again. If we are in an accident and need immediate medical attention and our pet will not let the medics near us an officer will shoot them. They are not going to wait for animal control. Pets in the back of trucks are in even more danger. They can be thrown for a further distance in an accident, they are very free to jump out anytime they want. if tied they can be thrown to the side of the truck and hang to death. There are many objects flying in the air that could hit them and cause injury. They are the safest in the back of a truck if they are in a well secured crate ( not cage.) Sometimes we do not think about the weather ( hot or cold ) when going out but we really need to because it can kill our pets. Letting our pets stick their heads out the window is dangerous also. They can get injured in the eye by something or get injured by something that goes up their nose.
Please, we need to consider our pets when we take them places in a vehicle. When we brought our pets into our lives we agreed to love them, feed them, and care for them. Protecting them from harm is supposed to be part of our agreement for caring for them.
This should be thought of all year long but with summer and traveling it happens more. With people now being given the free rein to go out after more than a year of COVID I have a feeling it will be taking place more than usual.
The way to figure the pounds of weight an animal hits something in front of it is to times the weight of the animal and the speed the vehicle was going.
If anyone wants to share this with anyone other than here go for it. I want as many people as possible to be made aware of vehicle safety for animals.
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