Survey Reveals Safety Concerns When Driving With Pets
We love our pets and we want to take them everywhere with us. But many worry about driving with their dogs. These are the findings published by Volvo USA entitled “Dogs, Cars, and the People Who love Them.” Volvo has partnered with Harris Poll to explore the complex relationships between Americans and their cars.
The Harris poll surveyed 2,000 adults across the U.S. including 1,342 pet owners. Many of whom are millennials. The findings include:
1. 69% of Americans view their pets as family and 23% (or one in five) see their pets a children.
2. Half of millennial pet parents would choose to spend more lavishly on their dogs rather than themselves. This includes things such as organic food, throwing birthday parties, and doggie daycare. Also, 40% would take “maternity/paternity” leave from work if possible when acquiring a new pet.
3. More and more, pet parents are traveling with their animals. 49% of millennials say they will not vacation without their dogs and 38% of pet owners overall will not vacation without their dogs.
4. The majority of Americans feel protective of their pets (94%), but only about a quarter (26%) strongly agree that their cars are safe for their dogs if in an accident.
5. 84% believe that people don’t give a high enough priority to dog safety in cars. Nearly everyone drives with their dogs (97%), but most practice unsafe driving habits. For example, 41% allow their dogs to ride in the front seat and only 23% use a seat belt to secure their dog. Nearly half of pet owners (48%) do not own pet safety gear for driving. Only 28% own a dog crate or harness and only 11% use a car seat.
6. Nearly three-fourths of people (71%) want vehicle manufacturers to help bare the responsibility of their pets’ safety in that car makers should build more dog safety features into their cars.
There is no doubt that as we embark on more and more adventures with our four-legged family members, we want to make them safe as possible. Volvo is the only vehicle manufacturer to develop pet-safety accessories that directly tie into the car, including a dog harness, load compartment divider, dog gate and protective steel grille. You can learn more about these pet safety devices at www.volvocarspets.com.