They often leave their pets home as a result.
A disproportionate number of millennial pet parents worry about driving with their dog, a new survey finds.
Among all demographics, 24 percent of pet parents leave their dog home because they worry the car is not safe enough, according to “Volvo Reports: Dogs, Cars and the People Who Love Them.” Volvo Car USA teamed up with Harris Poll to release the first in a series of reports exploring the relationship between Americans and their cars.
“Our survey showed that pet parents want to travel with their furry friends, but worry about safety,” said Jim Nichols, product and technology communications manager for Volvo Car USA. “Volvo is the only manufacturer that has been developing protective steel grills and dog gates for over 20 years to keep pets in place in the event of an accident.”
Many of those surveyed indicated they lack knowledge about the safest ways to drive and travel with their four-legged friends.
- About 97 percent of pet owners drive with their dogs, but many practice unsafe driving habits:
- 48 percent do not own any safety driving gear for their dogs.
- 41 percent let their dogs ride in the front seat.
- 23 percent buckle their dogs in to standard seatbelts.
- 5 percent have a built-in pet safety system in their vehicle.
Of the parents who leave their pets behind when they are traveling — 38 percent of millennials and 24 percent of pet parents in general — do so because they are worried their cars are not safe enough for their pets.
Volvo Cars states that it 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.