Canine car safety

13-04-2006 11:11

The campaign for drivers and passengers to ‘belt up’ has been a long and successful one, but what about passengers from the animal kingdom? Research conducted by the UK’s premier leasing company, Lex Vehicle Leasing, has revealed that almost three quarters of company car drivers receive no safety guidance from their company when transporting pets.

When asked if their company insists any pets are stored securely during transport in a company vehicle, 74.3% of survey respondents said no. When you consider that in a 30mph accident, an unrestrained 50lb border collie would be thrown forward with a force equivalent to nine 12-stone men, that’s something of a concern. What’s more, with road safety and duty of care remaining a core political objective, fleet managers have an added incentive to take the transport of pets seriously.

As well as being a risk in the event of an accident, an unrestrained pet can also be the cause. While some dogs sit placidly on the back seat, others jump around and try to climb through to the front seats, distracting the driver and increasing the chances of being involved in, or causing an accident. Even a usually placid pet may suddenly become unnerved by something they see or hear, and panic. The results can be devastating.

Contrary to belief, making a pet wear a special harness is not unkind – most will actually feel more secure when they are restrained, either by using a harness, in a travel kennel, or behind a dog guard. And, just as you can order your car with parking sensors, many manufacturers now offer model specific pet restraints and dog screens, which should be considered when ordering your car. These can be more cost-effective than retro-fit items and are likely to be far more effective. With Lex able to spread the payments over the leasing period, the extra cost of having factory fitted restraints is minimal.

Communications Officer for Brake, Dianne Ferreira, said of the results; "It’s common sense that a loose animal in the car can be a danger and a real distraction when on the move. This in turn means a danger to drivers and passengers. That said, employers should be encouraged to set guidelines on transporting pets in order to protect themselves and their employees."