Keep yourself and your pet safe on travels, a loose dog in a car can be a lethal distraction

Pets should be restrained or crated in the boot for safety. Photo: Getty

Eddie Cunningham

We used to have a dog who loved to sit in the front seat of the car whenever the opportunity presented itself.

He would sit proud and vigilant and show his appreciation by insisting on slobbering a few great big friendly licks at regular intervals.

If the front passenger seat was occupied, he would attempt to make the journey from the rear seat and he’d often succeed in gaining a share of it by sheer perseverance.

He had a habit of standing up, growling and barking at other dogs as we passed through the town and had to be sternly rebuked to sit down.

It frightens me to think how long ago that was.

It also frightens me to think how dangerous it was – not just for Shep, but for whoever else was in the car with him at the time.

Things were different then.

There wasn’t as much traffic, people didn’t use their car as much and cars were not as powerful.

But the laws of physics still applied.

It was madly dangerous. Because if I had to stop suddenly, he would have been propelled forward at deadly speed, putting himself and those at the front in danger of being injured or diverted from driving.

Everywhere I look these days, I see examples of cars with dogs free to roam about the cabin without anything to restrain them.

Quite a few I’ve noticed were sitting in the front seat.

The danger in those cases is that the canine might try to nuzzle in friendship, or look for a pat on the head, thereby causing a distraction to the driver.

Really, the safest way for a pet to travel is to be properly restrained within the boot, with a guard blocking access to the cabin, or kept in a secure crate within the boot.

That’s the best thing to do if you really love your pet. And we all do, don’t we?