A dog has been seriously, possibly fatally injured by an airbag because he was sitting in his owners lap. It was a minor accident and no human was injured. The force of the airbag however caused internal injuries in the little dog.
http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0
It is important to be aware of this danger. We already know that airbags are a danger to small children. A small dog would not be able to stand the force of an airbag deploying. I know it seems easier or more fun to ride with the dog in your lap, but it could be fatal. It is just not worth the risk.
If I am transporting a reptile or guinea pig, I always sit in the back seat. We can't be too careful with our loved ones.
It seems incredibly dangerous to have a dog on one's lap when driving. Puce was always on the back seat, with a harness strapped into a safety belt connection. I am now doing the same for Forgy. That is the safest thing to do for a dog.
People take terrible chances They still fail to use their own seat belts. They don't put their children in car seats. It never occurs the them that a dog can be hurt in a crash. The airbags have a tremendous force. Of course a small dog was hurt by it. Without the airbag the dog would have been thrown or crushed against the dashboard. No dog is ever safe in the front seat or just loose in the car.
LPC, I knew you would always do the safe thing for your dog.
I have used a seat belt on a guinea pig carrier to make sure they travel safely. It only takes a few minutes and it can have life saving results.
It's weird that you have posted this because airbags always freaked me out regarding what they could do to a dog in the event of a collision (particularly a dog because they sometimes travel in passenger seats). Misty always travelled in the passenger seat next to me, and awareness about the airbag thing at the back of my mind made me drive like a careful old lady.
I can't imagine anyone driving with a dog in their lap! How is that possible? I wouldn't want to ever do it.
People did not know there was a danger. You were ahead of your time for worrying about Misty. Most people still don't think about their dog in the car. I am careful about what I have in my lap. The airbag could turn some simple thing into a killer object.
Airbags need to be perfected more, but for now they are the best we have for safety. So we need to use them safely.
My imagination Catherine. I was able to imagine it.
I have never been in a collision when an air bag has deployed (was certainly in one without an air bag!), but have seen videos of how the airbags work years and years ago. I didn't think a small-medium dog would do very well under that force, and would probably also be unable to breathe.
But I have nothing against air bags as they have saved many lives (human). It's just wise to be 'dog-aware' and fix up something safer for them.
Seat belts and airbags save lives. They do have a few negatives however. You were right to see the possibilities of danger for a dog. The force of the airbag can cause internal damage. Only a healthy normal sized adult human should sit in the front seat with an airbag.
Dogs can be secured in the back seat where they can ride in comfort. Then they are not at risk of being hurt by an airbag or thrown because they are not properly restrained.
They make many kinds of dog seat belts and harnesses. They make them for all the different sized dogs that we have.
There is just no need to put a dog at risk.