Florida Drivers Traveling with Pets in the Car

Leaving a pet at home when traveling is not always possible. For a multitude of reasons, a driver may choose to bring his or her dog, cat, parrot, or other beloved creature into a vehicle as a fellow traveler.

In Florida, a lot of people are traveling on the roads for different reasons, and those people could be traveling with their pets in the car. Anyone choosing to travel with their pets should follow a few basic safety points.

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Most Owners Don’t Consider Pet Safety

 

A significant number of pet owners do not think about the safety of their animal friends. The assumption is that the pet will be fine sitting on a passenger’s lap or lounging on the backseat.

Such an attitude is both lax and dangerous. This is doubly true when traveling with a dog. Scores of things can and do go tragically wrong when a pet is not properly secured. One survey revealed 84% of people do not use any restraint when traveling with their dog.

Several major problems arise when this is done. In addition to the dog being able to run away and into traffic when a door is opened, the dog also presents a major distraction to the driver.

A dog moving about freely in the car may lead a driver to take his/her attention off the road. Accidents happen this way.

When an accident occurs, the amount of force a dog generates when launched through the air can be massive.

At 50 MPH, a 10lb dog can generate 500lbs of pressure. Such force could seriously hurt people in the car or, for that matter, outside the car. And the poor dog won’t likely survive this level of impact.

How to Prepare a Pet for Traveling

Instead of taking risks while traveling with a pet, it would be better to follow some good, well-established advice:

– Exercise a Pet Prior to the Trip

A dog, in particular, needs to be exercised in order to reduce anxiety and other behavioral issues. Exercising a dog prior to taking a trip, even a short one, may keep the canine calm and reduce the very unfortunate scenario of the pet causing a distraction while driving.

– Purchase a Crash Tested Crate or Harness

There are a number of excellent crates or harness designed to keep a pet comfortable while in transit, but not all of them have a crash test rating.

In Florida, highway driving is the norm. Cars travel at high rates of speed when on the go on the various interstates. A crash-tested crate or harness is going to be much safer for a dog when hitting the Florida roads.

– Avoid Distracted Driving with Pets in the Front Seat

The front seat is really not the best place for a pet. A small cat or dog placed in a carrier and put on the front seat could prove to be a big distraction.

If the pet is located in the front seat, do not interact with the pet while driving. If needed, pull over to attend to any issues. Keeping the pet in the backseat, however, would likely curtail a number of distraction issues.

– Never Leave a Pet in the Car Alone

Among the worst things a pet owner can do is leave a pet alone inside of a locked car. The heat in Florida is capable of reaching scorching degrees.

The interior of the vehicle is likely to become hotter as the trapped air heats up. Leaving a pet inside a parked car in hot weather could lead to a fatality quickly.

Mild weather is no guarantee of safety. And, sadly, pets left in cars have been known to be stolen.

– Make a Visit to the Vet

When planning a long trip with a pet, a pre-departure check-up is highly recommended. A pet really does need to be healthy enough to travel. A sick pet could get worse in transit, a scenario no one wants to see play out.

The pet should have all necessary shots along with flea, tick, and heartworm treatment. A veterinarian can also inject an identifying microchip in the pet. If lost, a scanner is able to read the chip and call the owner.

– Bring the Essentials

The pet requires access to a few essential items while traveling. Water is among the most important as well as food.

A traveling food kit is worth buying since these kits provide enough to hold the pet over until a destination or hotel is reached. High-end cat travel cases even come with a built-in litter box.

It would not be a bad idea to store the numbers for local veterinarians and emergency pet clinics along the route. Bring along copies of health checks and medical paperwork just in case.

– Plan Ahead

Planning ahead requires taking precautions to make sure the ride is smooth for both owner and pet. Booking hotels/motels should not be done without first making sure the venue is pet-friendly. Thankfully, there are a lot of major chains that are.

The same advice should be followed for restaurants. Be aware of rest stops along the way in which a leashed pet can be given a walk or fed without hassles.

Planning ahead makes the trip easier and, often, cheaper. Never take anything for granted or do anything “on the fly” when traveling with a pet.

Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements in Florida

All that talk about distracted driving earlier and the potential injuries a pet can cause in an accident must not be taken lightly.

A distracted driver may be deemed a negligent driver. That means he/she is going to be blamed for an accident. Accidents occur despite the best effort to avoid them. This is why having the absolutely best insurance policy in place is recommended.

In Florida, procuring an insurance policy is mandated by law. The minimum coverage requirements in the state are “$10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL)”. Obviously, these are very low thresholds for personal protection.

Pets can be covered under an insurance policy, usually under collision coverage. This would be an additional coverage you added to your existing policy.

Be mindful that not every insurance company is going to extend coverage to pay for injuries to a pet. Some will and some won’t. Take this is one very important reason of many to perform detailed comparisons of various policies.

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