The Safest Way to Drive with Your Pet

Precious cargo when your pet is in the car with you.

We love our pets and we want to keep them safe when they travel with us in the car. Meineke in Hersey loves their pets too, so they've put together a few tips to protect your fur babies while on the road.

1. Keep your pet restrained. You need to focus on your driving and that's nearly impossible to do if your pet is jumping around, or are underfoot. Placing them in a crate or securing them with a "pet seatbelt" will keep both you and them safe.
2. Get your pet accustomed to the car. Before taking a long trip, get your pet used to being in the car with numerous little "trial" tips. This will make taking to the road more enjoyable for the both of you.
3. NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET ALONE IN A PARKED CAR. Temperatures higher than 70 degrees or lower than 35 degrees are not safe for your pet.  Furthermore, those passing by  may decide to break your window to "rescue"  your pet if they think they are trapped inside at any temperature.
4. NO HEAD OUT THE WINDOW. Yes, it's the classic stereotype "The ol' head out of the window" bliss. However, this can be very dangerous for your pet. They risk getting struck by passing debris. They could be thrown out the window if you had to slam on the brakes or swerve suddenly.  And, we don't even want to think if you are in a wreck.
5. Make sure your pet has identification. Have your pet microchipped AND make sure they have a collar with an ID tag that has your cell phone number. If you are going on vacation with your pet, make sure they have a temporary tag with a way to someone to contact you while on vacation.

For Meineke, keeping their customers and their customer's pets safe is priority #1. For more tips, check out WebMD's traveling with pets blog.

And remember, you can get top quality service at any of the 12 Meineke Car Care Centers in South Central Pennsylvania.