Small animals (ofc rabbits) and car accidents.

[blackfang]

I’m reading a “DMV” book for me to pass knowledge test so I can practice to drive a car soon. One of these section mentioned about that if you are in car accident then get out of car if not injured and check other driver(s) to see if they are okay too. After that, call the police for help and goes on. None of them mentioned about pets. 

What if the owner of small pets (including cats) in carrier cages broke open and were on loose AND the owner is unable to catch them and hold them before they ran/hop away due to injuries or death? Is it other driver who wasn’t injured become responsibility to take care of the owner’s pets for awhile or ignore them because pets are “properties” under the USA laws?

If the owner was alive and was taken to hospital via ambulance truck.Who will take care of pets if pets aren’t allow in hospital? (Remember, no one bother to contact the owner’s friends because they don’t know who or which friends)

There are many questions for me to type but these questions are my two main questions that I want to know before I’ll get a car. I want to prepare for it. 

Thank you. 

[Stickerbunny]

I don’t think there a law that you have to take care of their pets, or check on them, since they are property. Rescue workers usually will try to help the pets if they can, but I wouldn’t depend on people to do so. If there is no one to take care of the pets, typically a shelter or rescue is called I believe if no one can reach your contacts. Keep a “emergency contact” list in your wallet/purse so people know who to call for you.

States are starting to put in laws that you HAVE to have your pets secured due to all the injuries animals are suffering due to being out free in cars. NJ just made “click it or ticket” cover pets as well as people. If they are in a carrier, unless the accident is VERY bad, they are usually going to be pretty secure.

[Sarita]

Usually if there is an animal involved they turn them over to animal control who will hold the animal or try to find relatives of the owner.

That’s interesting Sticker that NJ has included animals in carriers – it’s not only a hazard to have your small animal (cat or rabbit) not in a carrier in case they start wandering around the car for you, but for the animal too.

Some insurance companies actually may cover something for the pet involved in some monetary form (depending on coverage and carrier) – Progressive will cover some costs if you have collision coverage and are at fault for the incident – not entirely sure about someone else’s pet.

I once had a lady t-bone me and had a rabbit in my front street strapped in, in a carrier and luckily he was okay – the vet checked him out – I was dropping him off anyway. I do believe I told the insurance company and they asked me how he was.

[FrankieFlash]

I’ve had similar thoughts. I made sure that I have something with emergency contacts written in my purse as well as my phone. Some emergency responders will use ICE contacts in phones and all of my ICE contacts know about Bunjamin. As to people knowing he’s in the car with me I worry. I thought about getting a “bunny on-board” sign that I only have up when he’s with me but I’m not sure anyone would catch on to that.

Sarita, that was nice of them to ask how the bun was.

I think that’s a great law for NJ. Although I don’t know how that would work with my 88lb dog. She barely fits in any of our cars let alone getting a carrier big enough for her.

[LBJ10]

I would think whatever personnel were dispatched would take the animals. They would most likely take them to a shelter for them to hold on to if you were in the hospital. A relative could probably pick them up from the shelter after that.

[LBJ10]

FrankieFlash, can your dog use a doggie seat belt?

[Stickerbunny]

Frankie, for dogs that are too big for carries they use harnesses attached to seat belts to secure them. Which is fine by that law as well.

[longhairmike]

i swear ociffer,, my bunny was the one swerving…

[Roberta]

Failing to wear a seat belt…. Will they never learn……

[FrankieFlash]

LOL at the pic. They might be able to get a harness. She only goes to and from vet which is like 5 min drive. If they ever went anywhere longer with her I’d convince them to get something for her safety.

[equalsign]

Kinda on subject, does anyone have any recommendations for carriers that can be secured in the car for vet trips and such?

[Roberta]

I generally put mine on the front seat and wrap the seat belt around it and take up the slack so its secure.

[Monkeybun]

It’s recommended for them to NOT be in the front seat, due to the problems air bags can cause in a crash. Put the carriers in the back seat

[LittlePuffyTail]

A BB member, LizzyKnittyBunny, was in a bad car accident with her bunnies. She had both bunnies in the back seat in a cage and her car actually flipped over. Emergency personal took her out of the car and were getting ready to put her in the ambulance when she started yelling, My bunnies! Somebody get my bunnies! A firefighter got both the bunnies and brought them to her. Amazingly, one bunny suffered only a minor cut and the other was fine. Their Momma needed stitches though.

I just think this is a good story

[Sarita]

MB, I know you are correct about that, but I’m so guilty about strapping mine in the front seat…those dang back seat seatbelts are so problematic…

[Monkeybun]

the seat belts in the back seat of my car are the same as the front seat for me, so i don’t have that issue

[Stickerbunny]

Most newer model cars use the “adult” seat belts the same as the front seat, due to injuries caused by the waist only seat belts and children (internal injuries since it only tightens on their abdomen). If your car doesn’t have one of those, yeah it’d be a pain to put them into the backseat. They do have car seats for kids though that you can put in the back seat with a harness attached, for a small pet like a rabbit, you could probably get a carrier to fit in one and harness it to the seat. Or, some cars have the option to TURN OFF the passenger side airbag.

Most carriers should work fine with a normal shoulder/waist strap steal belt. Just wrap the belt across, or you can get one of the attachments to make it a “pet seat belt” to make it easier to secure if needed.

[Sarita]

Sticker, that is the kind I have in my back seat too. I guess I just find it more problematic – will have to get over this and just wrestle with the seat belt and carrier. I usually tuck the seat belt through the handle in the front seat and that works for strapping them in there. I suppose it should be the same for the back as well…

[FrankieFlash]

Oh I didn’t know about the front seat thing either. I do that when he’s alone with me because he gets better AC. I have very little in my backseat so when me and the bf are both in there he goes back there but we keep air higher than normal and try to point them back there. Guess I’m going to have to do some further examining of my car.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

i’m sure you or whoever would do the best they could. I did see a loose dog ejected from a car and many people were securing the dog (who was unhurt) while owner went to hospital.

I think car accidents are definitely something to consider when transporting animals. Most dog seatbelts are extremely unsafe-they go right across the dogs neck and they can kill and injure or break in an accident. Two are road tested and meet human seatbelt astm certifications.

Most crates also are not crash tested. I would think in small fender benders, a small crate on the floor in between the seats (in back, or in front on floor between seat and console) would far well, but it’s hard to know!

[Monkeybun]

Its also not recommended to have crates on the floor because of vehicle exhaust

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Really? I had no idea there was exhaust in the car?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ok, just asked the mechanic guy-if your car has holes in the floor or exhaust it’s possible, but you’d have exhaust everywhere in the car. A car in good shape is not going to have exhaust in it. So says the smart guy but I don’t know? where did you hear that?

[Monkeybun]

if windows are open, turbulence from behind the car can cause exhaust fumes to travel back into the car, and with carbon monoxide being heavier than air, it would settle on the floor.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m just questioning that, because if your travelling at highway I can’t see that happening? Do you know where you read that? That’s interesting

[longhairmike]

air moving faster outside of the window would result in lower pressure, and the resulting pressure differential would cause air to get sucked out from the lower inside pressure… unless exhaust was piped into the trunk which was not separated from the interior of the car, it might be pulled in to replace the air sucked out the window,, but otherwise i dont see how it would make its way back inside.

bernoulli yo

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