When you want to travel anywhere with a pet in your vehicle, you must follow certain safety protocols to prevent an accident that can lead to an injury or death. You always make sure to protect human passengers while they are riding in your automobile and it is also imperative to protect your cat or dog. Using certain guidelines while traveling with a dog or cat can protect you, in addition to your pet. Follow these safety tips while transporting your pets in a vehicle on short or long trips. Safety Tip 1: Have a Pet Carrier for Your Vehicle Buy a pet carrier for your dogs or cats to protect the animals while you are traveling. Make sure to select a pet carrier that is the appropriate size for an animal, so that it can move around comfortably. It is also a good idea to have extra space in the pet carrier to hold a soft blanket, water bowl, and a toy. For longer trips, make sure that each pet has its own carrier so that the animals won’t feel crowded. Some animals can get along while traveling in the same carrier for short trips, but if you have a nervous cat or dog, then don’t put the pets together. Safety Tip 2: Fasten the Pet Carrier Securely Inside the Vehicle When you use a pet carrier, you must attach it securely inside your vehicle to protect your animals. In a high-speed collision, a pet carrier that isn’t attached firmly will fly through the vehicle and it may break through a window or open door. This can lead to an injured animal that receives lacerations, broken bones, or internal bleeding. Make sure to fasten the pet carrier to the vehicle correctly, so that it remains in place during a collision. Your pet is always safer inside its carrier. Safety Tip 3: Don’t Leave a Pet Inside a Closed Vehicle Never leave an animal in a closed vehicle, at any time of the year, because a dog or cat can die from hot or cold temperatures. In the summer, a pet can have a heatstroke within only a few minutes in an unventilated vehicle. If you must leave a pet in a vehicle while you are inside a building, then open the automobile’s windows and place a bowl of water in the carrier. Safety Tip 4: Take Short Trips First Teach your pet how to travel inside a vehicle by going on short trips first to a local park or other public area. With practice trips, your cat or dog will become accustomed to the sounds and odors that are emitted by passing vehicles. If your pet can remain calm on a short trip, then you can bring an animal along on longer trips, such as family vacations. Safety Tip 5: Never Permit a Pet to Roam Around Inside a Vehicle Don’t permit a pet to roam inside a vehicle, no matter how much it whines. A dog or cat that is loose inside an automobile is a danger to you because it can distract you while you are driving, leading to an accident. An excited animal might try to jump from an open window or it might become wedged underneath the brake pedal of your vehicle. Contact Cascade Collision for Vehicle Repairs If you are in a collision that damages your vehicle, then make sure to visit an emergency room to check for personal injuries. In addition, take your cat or dog to a veterinarian for a checkup. After making sure that you and your pets are okay, bring your vehicle to Cascade Collision for repairs. We have auto body and collision repair shops in several locations in Utah, including Park City, Lehi, Orem, and Provo. Contact us today to request a free quote for the required repairs for your automobile.