Road safety officials urge motorists to ‘belt up’ their pets

It’s a pet hate for road safety professionals — animals that are unsecured in cars and vans are posing a major safety risk to drivers and their passengers.

Dog and cat lovers, in particular, are being urged not only to ensure that they and their fellow passengers wear seat belts while travelling, but to belt up their pets too.

The danger caused by unsecured animals came to light in a recent court case in Co Mayo when a woman swerved her car headlong into another vehicle after her cat jumped off her lap.

Safety officials and paramedics are now calling for all animals to be belted up or otherwise restrained while travelling in vehicles.

Mayo County Council road safety officer Noel Gibbons said most people did not even think of the danger that could be caused by an animal travelling in a car.

Quite apart from the danger to the animal itself, serious injury could be caused by a medium- to large-sized pet catapulted by a vehicle in a collision.

In a car travelling at 50kph, a border collie weighing 22kg is capable of being thrown forward with a force equivalent to almost 75kg, Mr Gibbons explained.

“Any passenger can be a distraction for a driver, so we need people to belt up the whole family, including the pets,” said Mr Gibbons.

“Even if your pet is well behaved in the car, you still have to consider your pet’s safety should another driver cause you to slam on your brakes or get into a collision.”

The aftermath of a collision in which an animal is involved can be a nightmare for ambulance crews also, with frantic or disoriented animals very often a cause of delay in getting medical attention to injured parties and posing a very real threat to other road users.

It is recommended that a safety harness is used for medium to large dogs while travelling. The harness should go around the dog’s chest, back, and shoulders and be attached to the seatbelt.