Colorado State Patrol is sending a summer reminder about the dangers of riding in a vehicle with an unrestrained pet, saying a free-roaming pet can become “a deadly projectile during a crash or sudden stop.”

Use a crate or carrier anchored to the vehicle. Leave the front seat for humans. Keep heads inside, and never leave your pet alone in a car, especially as temperatures start to warm.

 

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Press Release from Colorado State Patrol; April 21, 2025.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unrestrained Fur Babies Create Distractions

Colorado State Patrol Cautions Drivers about Unrestrained Pets

(COLO) – To many Coloradoans, pets are a part of the family and often accompany us on the road. But how many people who travel with furry friends are putting them into a harness, a pet carrier or a crate? Any activity, like petting your dog or reaching back to provide a treat to your cat, takes a driver’s attention away from driving. This is considered distracted driving.

In addition, a free-roaming pet can become a deadly projectile during a crash or sudden stop. Pet parents aren’t practicing safety when they allow their fur babies to roam free inside a moving vehicle.

The State of Colorado, like most states, doesn’t have an explicit law that states you must restrain your pet in a vehicle or that you are prohibited from driving with a pet in your lap. However, if your pet is obstructing your view or if you exhibit driving behaviors that would be covered under the ‘careless driving statute,” law enforcement can pull you over.

“Having your pet properly restrained is important for your pet’s safety and your own,” explains Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Even the most well-behaved dog, ferret or cat can be a distraction. And, just like you, a pet can fly through the windshield, out an open window or crash into the dashboard.”

If you are going on a car ride, remember to protect your pet by following these National Humane Society recommendations.

• Pets Shouldn’t Roam – dogs should be in a crate anchored to the vehicle and cats should be in a carrier.
• Leave the Front Seat for Humans – airbags can cause serious injury to pets, even if they are in a carrier or crate.
• Keep Those Heads Inside – pets can be injured by debris or made sick by cold air being forced into their lungs.
• Don’t Leave Your Pet Alone in the Car – heat is a serious hazard, and even 70-degree temperatures can heat your car to over 100 degrees in less than an hour. And another hazard is the possibility of someone stealing your pet while you’re away.

The Colorado State Patrol is recognizing Distracted Driving Awareness Month by sharing data and tips to encourage all Colorado drivers to focus on one task: driving when they get behind the wheel. Colorado’s Hands Free law went into effect on January 1, 2025. There is no lane reserved for you to drive distracted, drop the distractions.

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