Whenever we take the dogs out for a car ride, we put them in the trunk.
No panick people: I have a Volswagen Golf and it is Hatch back! So they're in an open trunk!
Mollie is pretty still when we drive, but Oscar! My goodness! I never thought a dog could move so much in a car! So we restrain them to the back. And this weekend, the petstore near my house is supposed to have gotten that metal thing to put up in my car, not to allow the dogs to jump up on the back seat. I cannot wait to put it up, because just like you Jean, I'm afraid of them getting hurt or hurting us if we ever get in an accident.
Quick& funny one here: last week-end, we were taking the dogs out for the weekend with us at a couple's house. Oscar let out one of the most loud and smelly farts I had ever smelled and heard! We had to pull the car on the side of the highway and open all the windows up. We did not let the dogs out of course, but we waited for at least 10 minutes for the smell to go away! And thought it was so funny!!!!!!!!!!!:D