From my files:
Center for Pet Safety
In 2011 Lindsey Wolko founded the Center for Pet Safety, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research and advocacy organization, after her dog Maggie was injured in a car accident. As she researched safety products after the incident she found that there was no testing methodology, no assurance of effectiveness, and without that assurance, consumers could not know which products would work and which ones wouldn’t. She met with engineers and started building a 55lb bulldog dummy, anatomically correct, stuffed with computer equipment and the same center of gravity as the real animal. That model was used in the pilot project reviewing four products. When the pilot results were released, Subaru of America Inc. signed on to fund the rest of that study. The final tests included a 75-pound golden retriever, 45-pound border collie and a 25-pound terrier mix.
Subaru partnered again to fund the 2013/14 harness study, in 2015 for the crate and carrier study, and 2018 for pet placement in a 3 row SUV.
We have car seats for kids but for years, we let our best pal ride in the front seat with their head sticking out the window. Or worst yet, sit on our laps. This causes accidents from distracted drivers but additionally with the advent of air bags, your dog can be seriously injured when an air...
keepdoggiesafe.com
Cars are designed to keep humans safe, but at what cost to our canine companions?
www.outsideonline.com
A car cut in front of me. I slammed on the brakes. Maggie's harness tether had wrapped around her back legs. She hit the back of the front seat...
www.centerforpetsafety.org
From CPS Blog 2018
(With the exception of Piper's Walk, no further harness testing has been made public. Tests were planned for 2019 but no further mention on website.)
Piper’s Walk: We are grateful to Nudh Suanpan for sharing the story about her beloved dog, Piper, with us. Nudh is a courageous young woman who is working to educate pet owners on the importance of travel restraints for pets. She launched the first annual Piper’s Walk and raised funding to support CPS product testing after her dog was killed in a crash. We invited Nudh to attend the testing at MGA Research in Manassas, Virginia. It was an eye opening experience for her.
CPS Certified Program: CPS has been counseling brands around the globe who are working toward certification. We do quite a bit of knowledge sharing with industry to ensure they have the information they need as they work to develop or improve products headed for certification. It is quite time consuming, but it is worth it when we see significant improvement in the test lab. We also anticipate new harness, crate and carrier certifications in 2019….as well as our first international certification!
We’ve also recently recertified updated products and will be posting the test results very soon.
From <
2018 Wrap Up - Center for Pet Safety - Center for Pet Safety>
-----------------------------------------
From Sleepypod site faq's
Can small dogs less than 18 pounds use Clickit Sport?
A small dog less than 17-18 pounds tends to have more fragile bone structure, so might be better protected in a carrier in the event of a collision. Check out Sleepypod’s crash tested carriers here.
Do I size up or size down when the measurement is between sizes?
For dogs that are not yet fully grown and within 1 inch of the highest setting, consider sizing up.
Make sure the harness fits tightly before using.
If your dog is full grown, consider sizing down. The fit should be tight, not loose, and fit only three fingers laid flat under the buckles once adjusted correctly.
Can dogs more than 90 pounds use Clickit Sport?
Sizing is based on measurement rather than weight, however, crash testing and certification for the Clickit Sport is for dogs 90 pounds and under.
Can my dog use a booster seat with Clickit Sport?
There are many styles and variables so Sleepypod cannot confidently recommend the use of its safety harnesses in combination with another brand’s booster seat without further testing.
Do I need any additional accessories?
Clickit Sport requires only a three-point seat belt in the rear seat of your vehicle. The seat belt should be a three-point seat belt with both lap and shoulder straps. Additional accessories, like S-Clip and Buckle Shield, are great additions to any trip but are not required.
Can my dog use Clickit Sport in the front seat?
Sleepypod recommends buckling your dog into the rear seat, just as you would a child under 95 pounds, to better ensure safety.
Can Clickit Sport be used in the cargo area?
Sleepypod cannot confidently recommend using Clickit Sport to restrain your pet in the cargo area due to the number of variables. Please be advised that use in the cargo area might reduce safety.
What materials are used?
Clickit Sport is made of ballistic nylon on the front and neoprene padding on the interior. Straps are made of seat belt grade material. Components are stress-tested plastic and metal.
From <
Clickit Sport>
From Kurgo
October 2018 Note: Kurgo reached out to Center for Pet Safety to explain that they have redesigned this product since the 2013 harness study. We applaud their due diligence to ensure product safety. CPS has not yet retested the Tru-Fit Enhanced Strength harness. We invite Kurgo to learn more about the Center for Pet Safety Certification program and voluntarily certify their harness in the interest of consumer and pet passenger safety.
www.centerforpetsafety.org
In June 2018, Kurgo’s Small, Medium and Large Enhanced Strength Tru-Fit Smart Harness (v. 3) and Impact Dog Seatbelt Harness (v.1)were tested at Calspan’s Buffalo, NY crash test facility and laboratory test procedure for pet safety harness restraint systems.
The test procedure was developed at the testing facility that maintains the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (“FMVSS) No. 213 for Child Restraint Systems and conducts all of the car seat performance tests for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”).
The test procedure adapts FMVSS 213’s strict safety standards that are designed to protect children and makes them applicable to dogs.
Kurgo’s harnesses passed the standards two criteria, which are: i) remain within the applicable excursion limits (<= 32 in. for dogs up to 50 lbs. and <= 36 in. for dogs between 51 and 75 lbs.) and maintain their structural integrity post-crash (i.e., hardware and webbing did not break or tear to the point of total failure, which is defined as complete separation).
Crash tested dog harnesses are extensively tested at an approved University facility before we sell them as dog car harnesses.
www.kurgo.com
FYI The Kurgo comes with a tether but specifically suggests to use the carabiner clip directly to the seat belt "For maximum crash protection and to limit excursion, you should use the included carabiner to attach the harness to you car seat belt system."
Ruffwear Load Up Harness FAQ'S and crash testing videos
Why did Ruffwear design and build the Load Up Harness? Over the course of 14 months, Ruffwear’s Product Development team designed, built and tested the Load Up Harness. We set out to design this pr…
blog.ruffwear.com
From outsideonline.com
The car hits a brick wall—that’s the first-space impact. Your chest hits the steering wheel—that’s the second space. Your internal organs hit your rib cage—that’s the third space, and that’s where the damage is done. If you’ve got a dog in a crate, and they’re bouncing around like a marble inside that crate, then the damage is being done.”
The trick is to manage the deceleration rate of the animal in question—be it human or canine—which means decreasing the force with which the heart, spleen, brain, or other organs get squashed against something hard. That’s what seatbelts and airbags do for humans, but until the past few years, there was no such product available for dogs, no standards defining what these products should set out to achieve, and no procedures for testing them.
From <
Drive with Your Dog? Consider This.>
/
ruffwear.com
