Well, I've got 5 cats in addition to the dog....... and honestly, all I can do is use plastic crates and put them back in the cargo area.
Why? Well, 2 of my cats are on the wilder side....I can NEVER get a harness on them. The others are fine but I guess laziness has prevented me from thinking outside the box.
Not saying it will never happen but we never travel with them, and if we do it's only to the vet 2 miles away.... Speed limit is between 25 - 45 mph (not saying an accident can't happen along this route).
So my vote there is plastic crate. Definitely not loose in the car!
Wow, at hte rate we're going here I have to soon start anchoring my purse to my cargo anchors too. LOL!
(not making fun of safety, but when you think about it, people leave "hazards" out all the time in the car!! Morning commuters and their cup of coffee.... cell phones....purses and wallets....map books? umbrellas? kleenex tissues (yes, I've seen those in the back of cars). Where do we draw the line between safety and what's practical for people to deal with in real life??
I personally am a Starbucks nut, and will stop several times a week on my way in to work. But it's after I drop the kids off so I'd be the only one burnt by hot Latte.