Time for pets to belt up?

15.19 | 4 October 2010 | | 8 comments

A pilot scheme in County Mayo in Ireland is encouraging drivers to belt up their pets.

Noel Gibbons, Mayo County Council’s road safety officer is warning of the potential threat posed by loose animals in a car.

He said: “Any passenger can be a distraction for a driver. We need people to belt up the whole family, including the pets.

“An unrestrained dog or cat in the car during can be a hazardous distraction to a driver. Even if your pet is well behaved in the car, you still have to consider your pet’s safety should another driver cause you to slam on your brakes or get into a collision.”

Mr Gibbons also points out that the emergency services often encounter angry, disorientated animals at crash scenes, which can delay medical attention.

Damien Feeney, a Mayo paramedic, said: “Maybe the dog escapes through a broken window and dashes into traffic, causing more collisions.

“Or maybe the dog, hurt and scared, gets protective of its owner and won’t permit the emergency workers into the vehicle to assist.”

As part of the campaign, Mayo’s road safety team has teamed up with the local Petworld stores to offer safety restraints at reduced prices.

For more information contact Noel Gibbons on 094 9047115.

Comments

Comment on this story

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Report a reader comment

Order by Latest first | Oldest first | Highest rated | Lowest rated

    I have a restraint similar to the one pictured and it goes in through the back of the harness. I think it is very safe and secure. My dog is much bigger and is very happy in his harness.


    Kate Ryder, Cornwall
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    great idea this dog looks quite content in its harness.


    Jon, Mayo
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    This has long been a cause for concern for me. I am always astounded when I see dogs loose in the car. The most shocking is when they are sat on the knee of someone in the front, imagine the mess when the airbag goes off. I really hope this takes off and people start securing their pets in cars. However, the restraints I have seen have not been great, a lot of them have a strap that goes round the animal’s neck which surely could cause injuries in a collision?


    Rebecca, Merseyside
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    We, as I’m sure many others have been promoting and distributing the RoSPA information leaflet on Carry Pets Safely for years. I suppose nothing is ever new now.


    Tina Housego, Bracknell Forest Road Safety
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Great idea. Am ashamed to say I never restrained my dog but will do in the future.


    Margaret, London
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Lucky owner. What a cute dog. Great safety idea.


    Micheál, Galway.
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Unbelievable! This dog is too cute!!


    David, Goa
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    This is the cutest dog in the world – well done to the owner for their responsible care and attention – why should we just think of safety for humans after all…


    Martina, Galway
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close