Are Airbags Harmful to Pets?

Airbags can be harmful to pets. Because these safety devices deploy with great force, they can injure or kill your pet. Keep your pet safe while traveling by placing it in the safest part of the car and using a safety harness or carrier.

  1. Placement

    • Airbags are designed to protect human adults during automobile collisions. Frontal airbags are located in the hub of the steering wheel and the dashboard while side airbags are located in the side panels of the back doors or front seat backs. Keep your pet away from these areas.

    Proximity

    • To avoid injury, the driver and front seat passenger should sit at least 12 inches from an airbag. A pet sitting in the front (either in your lap or on the passenger seat) will be closer than 12 inches and likely to sustain injuries.

    Force

    • An airbag deploys at 200 miles per hour. If your pet comes into contact with the airbag before it is fully inflated, the force can break bones or even cause death.

    Safe Zone

    • Just like children under the age of 13, most pets are too small to withstand frontal or side airbag impact safely. The safest location in the car for either is the middle of the back seat.

    Restraints

    • Restrain your pet in the back seat, either in a soft-sided crate or plastic pet carrier strapped in place with the seat belt, or a harness that allows the dog to sit or lie down but not roam free.