Click it or ticket : Why your dog shouldn’t ride freely in your vehicle

All 50 states, except for NH, require by law that a seat belt restrains passengers in a motor vehicle and children seven and under are in a crash test-rated children’s seat. WHY IS YOUR DOG RIDING FREELY IN YOUR VEHICLE?????

In an accident, your unrestrained dog can quickly become a flying projectile inside your vehicle, injure you or others when it gets thrown out of the vehicle, and possibly not survive. Is it worth it having your dog loose in your car so he/she can look out the window or, even worse, sit in your lap? By leaving your dog unrestrained in your vehicle while driving, you are also at a greater risk of getting distracted by your dog or your dog even interfering with your driving. For the well-being of your dog and everyone else’s safety, please consider transporting your dog in a crate when using a car. Look at it as a children’s seat for your dog. It does not have to be a huge crate like the one you use at home, but it is big enough to cradle your dog and keep him/her from sliding around.
You don’t want to use a wire crate to transport your dog in your car. In case of an accident, a wire crate provides absolutely no protection for your dog and can even cause injury to your dog when the wires bend and turn into spears. You also don’t want to use any fabric crate since these give no protection. Better solutions are plastic airline-rated crates, though because they come in two pieces held together by bolts, they have a weak point and could break on heavy impact. The two pieces make it easier to clean out the kennel if your dog makes a mess inside, and they are more budget-friendly. Some of the safest crates are Gunner Kennels, Dakota Kennels, Ruffland Kennels, Lucky Duck crates, Impact crates, TNC crates, and Zinger. Sizes and pricing can be viewed on each of their websites. Even in a little sedan car, you should be able to fit a Dakota or Ruffland Kennel. There is nothing wrong with transporting your dog in the bed of a pickup truck as long as your dog is protected with a highly sturdy and crash-test-rated crate like a Gunner Kennel or Lucky Duck crate. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TRANSPORT YOUR DOG LOOSE IN THE BED OF PICKUP TRUCK!!!! Your dog could jump out and possibly get run over by either you or another vehicle. Also, if your dog causes another driver to have an accident, you can be liable for any damages and/or injuries.
If you really cannot fit a crate in your vehicle, at least invest in a seatbelt harness system that keeps your dog strapped in tightly, but be aware that your dog is still able to slip out of it in case of a crash or could simply chew on the seatbelt which will cause you having to replace the entire seatbelt $$$ .
For the love of your dog, please ensure you always transport your dog safely in your car.