Buckle up for safety—buckle up!

People don’t talk about dog car safety very much, but it’s actually as important as human car safety. Dogs can get tossed around from sudden braking, jump out the window, or get seriously injured or killed in a collision. One neat trick literally saved Buddy’s life when we got into a collision (that wasn’t my fault!).

When I first got Buddy, I had a 2 seat car. She was about 6 months old and curious and rambunctious. The first time we went for a drive, she was in my lap and all over the place, which was clearly not safe. I knew right then that she needed to be held in place.

My solution: a good harness with a vertical handle. I put the seat belt through the harness handle and buckle her up for safety, like a human. Buddy very quickly grew accustomed to being buckled in. Dogs pick up routines naturally. After a week or two Buddy would get in the car and sit down waiting to be buckled in.

It was a relief not to worry about Buddy getting in my lap or shifting into neutral while I was driving. When I got a bigger car, I kept up with the routine of buckling Buddy up, figuring it didn’t cost anything or hurt her.

Then, one day we were driving home from the dog park at about 40 mph, and a big jeep turned left directly in front of us and into us. We went from 40 to zero in a millisecond. My airbag went off and we ended up on the sidewalk. My SUV was totaled.

Fortunately, no one was injured—including Buddy. She was totally unscathed and unphased by the whole thing. The harness handle tore a little at the seams but kept Buddy in place, probably saving her life, and  at the least saving her from serious injury.

A fireman who responded to the collision said he had recently seen the result of an unsecured dog in a bad collision and described it as “horrific.” In the end, the dog didn’t survive its injuries.

I’m not going to guarantee that this little trick will save your pup’s life. I’m not going to endorse a specific brand. But I would highly recommend securing your dog whenever they come along for the ride.

I can’t comment on the efficacy of those seat belts that you can buy that attach to a collar or harness, but I will say that I believe using the car seatbelt through the harness handle holds them more firmly.