Just over a week ago, I was in one of those car accidents that remind you to slow down and not take life and health for granted. Not that I was speeding; a crash happened about 10 or more car lengths in front of me, and I managed to stop the car without hitting the mess in front – and so did the guy behind me – but the car behind both of us didn’t. We were hit from behind fairly hard. My car was banged up, and my passenger and I definitely felt some aftereffects of whiplash, but afterward, all I could think of was that I was so glad I didn’t have any dogs in the car. (Virtually all of my friends: “You didn’t have a dog with you??!”)
Not only do canine seat belts prevent dogs from being thrown through the car like a dangerous projectile in a car crash, they keep dogs from being flung out of the car onto the roadway – or escaping in a panic through broken windows immediately afterward. The accident was somehow confined to the middle lane of five lanes– and this being a big city on a Saturday afternoon, traffic continued to pour past the damaged and disabled cars on both sides, at least until the Highway Patrol came and stopped the traffic on the right two lanes so an ambulance, a fire truck, and several tow trucks could attend to the hurt drivers and disabled vehicles. If a dog had been thrown out of any of the crashed cars, or had escaped from one, the dog’s death under a passing car would have been the next horror to happen. Again, I didn’t even have a dog with me, but I can see that happening as clearly as I can see what actually did happen.
There are many online groups that have Facebook pages where members can share information about lost dogs, and at least a couple times a year, I see a post from someone who lost dogs in the chaos of a car crash and is hoping beyond hope that the dog will be found unhurt. But there’s nothing like your own crash, or one that happens to a friend, to remind you that protecting your dog is just as important as protecting your children and other loved ones in a car.
Let me be that friend. Buckle up those pups!
(And, yes, I’m gathering products for an updated review of canine seat belts and other car restraints.)
Can’t wait for the updated reviews of restraints, I found out recently about safety testing for crates and was horrified to see how few can actually survive a crash. It’s also harder as a big dog ages to get them safely and comfortably in and out of a crate so I’d like to find a harness option that would allow them to lay down in the backseat.
I too would love to see an article on this topic. I’ve used sleepypod harness (dog kept getting tangled up in it), the airpupsaver (leaked after 6 months) and now I use the Gunner crate. Seems the best option thus far….
If you are going to do a review of products, could you see if there are any you think are good for a dog that is large and needs to be in the back of an SUV? My dog lays in the back and I am not sure how to keep him secure.
I just read somewhere that Gunner makes the only crate that will not sustain damage in a crash. They are very pricey!
I have seatbelts for my dogs, and yes, they are a real pain to put on and my dogs really don’t like them. I wonder, for those of us who have large breed dogs and drive small cars (I have golden retriever mixes and drive a Honda Civic), are seatbelts even effective? The tethers are short, but the space + size of my dog is such that if I slam on my brakes, my dog is going to slam into the seat back in front of her. I am assuming that this would be deadly, probably breaking her neck. When I see crash test videos, there is a huge amount of space between the back seat and the seat back in front of the dog. Also in these videos, the test dummies always seem to be propelled far enough forward that, in my car, they would hit the seat back. In short, the seatbelt wouldn’t have a chance to slow down their forward movement before impact with the seatback. I would love it if you could include some research about seatbelts for large dogs in small cars when you write your upcoming article!
No restrain system is perfect. Humans can get injured by seat belts.
But attaching the dog to the vehicle with reasonable harnesses clipped to the seat belt system keeps the dog from being ejected from the vehicle. (I personally know of several car crashes that the dogs either were thrown from the vehicle or escaped out broken windows or doors. A friend just witnessed such a crash a month or two ago — the dog was very frightened and ran off despite my friend’s attempts to secure the dog.
I was in a crash decades ago and my 50# dog was in the passenger seat with his tracking harness secured to the seat belt and the dog was hurt much less than I was (shoulder scrape). And a dog friend was in a serious rollover crash years ago and again, her dogs who were secured in SleepyPod harnesses, were hurt way less (or not at all physically) than their owner.
Nowadays I have a non-folding metal crate and a one piece “plastic” (Rough Tuff) kennel in my van for my dogs. Friends have also gotten crash-resistant crate like RTK and Vario (looks like a gorilla cage — with the length adjustable) to haul their dogs around in. But we’re crazy dog sports women. 😃
So secure those dogs. And make sure your cell phone # is prominent on your microchipped dog. (No need for tags other than a license — they should call you, or lacking a collar, scan the dog for microchip. Finders don’t really need your dog’s name or your address — Call. Me.
Happy travels.
I read an article a year ago of harnesses crashed tested and those harnesses that PASSED the crash test. Only one passed and I’ve been using ever since. It’s pricey but you can also use it as a walking harness as it has a clip for a leash. Sleepypod made them but there may now be more that have passed the test.
I have a 286lb English Mastiff. Any seat belts or restraints that would fit her?
Haven’t found one yet. Can’t even find a harness to fit her.
I have a Sleepypod Utility harness for my Dobermans and it is HARD to use correctly! No dog I’ve used it on has been comfortable wearing it. I think the only option for me and my dog is a crate in the way back of an SUV, van or hatchback. Note: not every crate is safe for this use, just as not every product sold as a dog seatbelt or seatbelt harness is safe. And, if you have more than one dog, things get even trickier as you look for a way to keep all of you safe. It’s a lot like car seats for babies and small children: they take up a lot of space in a car; they are a hassle to move from one vehicle to another; you can’t just all hop in the car and go when you’re traveling with someone who uses one—it takes time and attention to use it properly and be safe. We’ve all seen the Facebook ads for dog seatbelts that make safety claims with no proof at all. Now we know how involved and expensive it is to actually prove that a dog restraint system provides some degree of safety, PLUS we can see how easy it is for product sellers to get around or subvert those claims. All I can say is, “Buyer beware!” That’s not much help when you get into an accident!
I’m very eager to read more on the subject from WDJ.
I use the Sleepypod with my dog and yes at first it is a bit tricky to get them hitched and settled. Now he cooperates with ease. The trick is to give them enough room to move a bit but still be restrained. I do that by putting a heavy metal paper clip at the point where seatbelt is coming out and adjustable to keep it from contracting back and tightening around dog too much or you can buy their clip.
We have Sleepypods for our girls, the Clickit Sport model. Our problem was that when the dog laid down, the material at the neck pressed into theirs. I contacted Sleepypod and was assured the fit was correct. Appreciated the confirmation but it wasn’t usable for long trips, only if the dogs were sitting up. Tried to get a seamstress or cobbler to alter it, ended up doing so myself. I removed the stitching at the neck to expose the straps that are used to hold the dog in place and trimmed the outer material to just above them. My husband wasn’t thrilled with my altering expensive harnesses until I showed him how it was made, that I hadn’t touched the safety straps and that we would not be using something that put pressure on their necks for 5-8 hours. Interestingly, I saw an old Sleepypod online and it had a V neck.
Recently on a highway near me a dog was thrown from the car during an accident. They were lucky- after only a FEW DAYS they were able to find the dog and be reunited with him.
Several years ago, I attached my dog’s harness to the seat belt only a few minutes before a car made an illegal turn in front of us. I saw her body pop toward the windshield and then pop right back down. She was unhurt but it literally scared the crap out of her. A canine officer happened to witness the accident and ran over. He was amazed that she was in a seatbelt and said he’d seen accidents in which every human in the car was fine but the dog was dead, having broken its neck on the windshield. Now I prefer to crate them in the car.