Keeping Fido Safe with Crash-Test Dummy Dogs

Recently, the nonprofit center for Pet Safety in Reston, Va., joined forces with Subaru to test 11 pet safety belts to find out which restraints work well enough to earn a seal of approval from pet-advocacy groups and to help establish a standard for pet restraints.

In a government product testing lab in Virginia, the pet harnesses went through various crash tests using some of the world’s first crash-test dogs, simulating a 25-pound terrier mix, a 45-pound border collie and a 75-pound golden retriever.

The results were not promising. Only one harness consistently kept a dog restrained in the seat: Sleepypod’s Clickit Utility Harness.

Subaru said it will soon offer the Sleepypod’s Clickit Harness as an accessory in its vehicles, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Why is this necessary?

Unrestrained pets can create a safety hazard. “Pet advocacy group Bark Buckle Up argues that unrestrained pets act like missiles in accidents, endangering passengers and themselves. In one calculation by motorist-advocacy group AAA, even a 10-pound unrestrained dog in a crash at only 30 miles an hour will exert roughly 300 pounds of force,” said The Wall Street Journal.

Injured or disorientated pets thrown from a car crash may become violent or obstruct rescue.

“Nearly 90% of U.S. pet owners say they travel with their pets, but few strap them in, despite recommendations from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and others. Some 17% of drivers surveyed in a 2011 AAA study admitted driving with a pet on their lap,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

For more information on Sleepypod’s Clickit Harness visit: http://sleepypod.com/safety

To watch a video of the testing click here.