Safety and insurance considerations~ dogs as passengers in cars.

Safety and insurance considerations~ dogs as passengers in cars. 12/17/2009

Out 'Troopy' four wheel drive, touring and caravan towing car.

Indigo our poodle is a seasoned, road tripper. She has been touring Australia in our car, since she was seven weeks old and loves it. We try to make sure travelling with our dog, is a safe and enjoyable, experience for her as well as for us. We take what precautions we can to avoid injuries and insure for those things we consider are important.

We have not at this stage, taken out pet insurance, though I have considered it would be worthwhile to do so. Our last poodle got ill, while we were on a tour and two veterinary visits in remote regions, cost us over $1,000. Most pet insurance policies for Australian dogs, at today’s rates, will only cost from $20. a month. If you do not have a spare thousand dollars or so, available as savings and your pet is important to you, this is when I would consider taking out pet insurance, for peace of mind.

Sensible precautions to reduce the likelihood of accidents, is even more important than accident insurance for your pet. When travelling in a car, a dog needs securing for its own safety and for the safety of the other car occupants. Unrestrained dogs can distract the driver, interfere with controls of the car and can become a dangerous, projectile, in the event of an accident.

Our poodle, Indigo travels in the front seat between my husband Reg and me. She is, firmly anchored with a dog safety harness, seat belt.

In the event of an accident, front seat airbags can launch out of the dashboard at a great enough force to injure a dog or child in the front seat. Some cars come with on on/off switches for the bags. Visit www.NHTSA.gov for details about switches as well as a list of dealers and repair businesses that install them. A car dealer can deactivate air bags, but this could affect a vehicle warranty or your car insurance cover. You can obtain quotes for car insurance and check out any extra questions you may have, at http://www.carinsurancelist.com

Please feel very welcome to share your happy experiences, traveling with your dog companions in the comments section of this blog. J I would love to hear them. J

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