(Newser) – From animal and road safety advocates comes a new rule of the road: Buckle up your pup. Business is picking up for pet-product firms that offer seatbelts for your dog, with one company pulling in $5 million in revenue last year, reports the Wall Street Journal. Police and lawmakers are beginning to get on board, too: It's illegal in Hawaii to drive with an animal in your lap, and California, Virginia, and Oregon are considering similar laws.

Kurgo sells a $23 harness for dogs in the car that loops around the dog and connects to the nearest safety belt, and sales have doubled annually since 2007. Another company offers booster seats for dogs to keep them off your lap. Meanwhile, Volvo has a $345 station-wagon barrier that keeps dogs in the cargo section of the car. “At first I thought they were silly,” says one convert to the booster seat. But now her dog, who once rode in the front seat on his hind legs, uses a booster. “The car is cleaner now, too,” she says. (Read more dogs stories.)

