Most of the pet owners take their pets along with them while travelling. But the pet owners often overlook the safety of their pets while they take them for the drive. If you are one among those people who love to travel with pets, then it’s your responsibility to ensure that your pet is safe and enjoys the ride with you. For this, your car should have some pet-friendly features. While buying a car, you should check out whether the car is suitable for your pet and equipped with all basic safety and comfy features. Just drive your pet in a pet friendly car and see how you and your pet enjoy the ride. If you don’t know which pet friendly features your car should have, then just have a look on the points given below. Next time when you think about purchasing a car, consider your pet too and look out for the following features.
Image Source: news.drive.com
1, Flat load floor
Flat load floor is the foremost feature that your car should have. Mainly, this flat load floor is created when the rear seats are folded down or when the seats are removed completely. This type of floor results in much more cargo space which is very important to accommodate the pet’s regular crate. By putting the crate in the cargo space, your pet can see through the window and enjoy the ride even in the comfort of his own bed. Depending on the size of your pet, your car should have sufficient cargo space so that it can provide room for even a large crate. Nowadays, majority of hatchbacks and SUVs come with roomy interiors along with rear seats that can be fold down or removed completely.
2, Low bumper height
The next important feature that the pet owners should have in their car is lower bumper height. This feature enables the pets to jump in and out of the car more easily on its own, without depending on the owner. Pets get very much excited when they go for a ride and they just love to jump and go. The high bumper height can become a hindrance for your pets to jump in the car. Moreover, the low bumper height is equally beneficial for the pet owners too. The pet owners can easily put their pet’s crate and other necessary items into the car more easily. So, don’t lift and put your pet inside the car like any object, instead let it enter the car by jumping in its own style.
3, Tie-down hooks, loops for leashes and sufficient storage space
Every one of us fastens our seat belts when we drive. In the same way, you should also ensure that your pet is having a safe ride. Hence, it is very important to properly secure the pet’s crate and harness. For this, tie-down hooks and leach loops sound really helpful. Bumps in the road or even sudden braking can make your pets badly injured. So, to avoid such dangerous situation and to ensure a safe ride for your pet, the car should have proper tie down hooks. Moreover, the car should have adequate storage space to carry pet’s food, ample supply of water, water bowls, bedding, litter & litter box, favorite toys, pet’s first-aid kit, and other necessary medications.
4, Side curtain airbags
The car, in which you are taking your pet for a drive, should have full-length side curtain airbags as safety equipment. This innovative safety feature can keep both pets and occupants safe during an accident or any crash. Side airbags can offer protection to your pet even in rollover crashes. Thus, you feel more confident about the safety of the pet while driving. Almost all new models of cars have this amazing safety feature. If safety of your pet is your top most priority then select a car with side curtain bags in it. Other safety features like rearview camera, forward collision mitigation systems, and reverse sensing system can also help you in keeping your pet safe.
5, Passive lock system
Another important feature required for a pet friendly car is the passive lock systems. With this system, the car automatically unlock the doors as the driver approaches and at the same time it opens up the tailgate of car with a rapid touch of the key fob. Hence, this auto lock system is very essential for pet owners in absence of this system, by the time you put your keys to lock or unlock car doors, your pet would start jumping up and even scratch your car. Moreover, if possible, try to buy a SUV or crossover that comes with power liftgate option that makes travelling with your pet even much easier. With the power liftgate feature, you can easily open or close the rear hatch either by simply pressing a button or using the key fob.