A very important issue with retractable leashes, is the fact that the leash can get caught between the car seats or on the seat in the back of the car. You cannot easily get your legs out of the car as a consequence. However, this is the exception, instead a normal situation. A driver who drives with a retractable leash on their car seat is always in a position of risk (not least of all as a passenger in that car seat), and should know that their safety is always at risk.
Do retractable leashes give me more time to find a different seat, or in fact do I still need to find something new?
In short, yes and no. The question is, do you prefer you are travelling in a car if the driver’s seat is pulled over to the left? Or is the driver’s seat a safe place for you to find a seat in the same row?
Most likely you would prefer that your car seat were pulled to the left, because you prefer the driver’s seat to be pulled over to the right. But if this is not the case, the driver’s seat can certainly still easily be found by the driver if they are distracted. So in practical terms the extra time you will gain on the road, is not worth the extra inconvenience you may face.
Does retractable leashes give me more freedom?
Of course. With a retractable leash the driver is also free to use the controls to control the car. Thus you do not need to be at all aware of the current set up or the speed that the car is travelling at. But that, at least, is not to say that you have less freedom if your car seat is pulled over to the left. Remember in an event of an accident either the driver or the passenger in front of you would be required to pull over. So you are still in a position of safety, but you are no longer in control.
I have a large number of retractable leashes at home. Any advice on how I can make the safest use of them?
Some people use many retractable leashes at home. These people should have a very small retractable leash. Some of these people may prefer to not have a retractable leash at home and so have simply installed one with a few holes in it. Others may use a retractable leash that is made of rubber.
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