Crash-testing pet car restraint systems - It's a start!

The good news: Finally someone is testing pet vehicle safety products. The bad news: Most of them failed.

Safe car travel for dogs is a relatively new industry. There are no state laws requiring restraining pets in cars. There are no U.S. federal regulations for harness restraints, crates and booster seats for canine car safety. The makers can make claims of safety without ever strength testing or crash testing their products. Typically however, if you read their product descriptions, they do not claim that the product will protect the dog in the event of a crash. The description states that the product is designed to restrain the dog from having movement around the car, by which they can interfere with the driver and cause an accident or impact the driver in a crash.

Germany leads the way in enforcing a European Union law requiring pets to be restrained in vehicles. It's not surprising then that it's from Germany that I find the first non-partisan crash testing of pet restraints that I'm aware of. The ADAC, like AAA in the U.S., tested various pet seat-belt harnesses and crates secured in different locations in the vehicle. I encourage you to read the full report (with photos) and watch the video of one of the test scenarios.

ADAC Test Report - Securing Pets in Cars
ADAC Test Video - harness and crate scenario

The results are discouraging. Most systems failed. Some badly. The tests were done at 30 mph with a 48-pound test dog dummy and a 9-pound test cat dummy in a crate. Harness systems failed in two areas. The carbiner clips broke, releasing the test dog dummy to fly around the cabin, and the restraint tethers were too long or loose, allowing the test dog to hit the back of the front seat.

Most shocking to me is that the plastic crate strapped to the back seat was crushed by the force of the seat belt, freeing the pet to be thrown around the cabin. The crate door immediately popped off too. The testing did not test a harness system or booster seat with harness for a small dog, like a Yorkie.

The big question is whether the carbiner clips and harness clips would hold the force of a small dog in a crash. The force of a 7-lb object in a 30 mph impact is 210 pounds. So do you think your system would hold a 210 pound object? Or more in a crash with higher speeds?

The best results came when the test dog was using a harness system with two attachments. I've looked all over the internet and I can't find any such product, though it must be available in Germany. Other good results came from a crate set on the floor behind the front seat. In the testing the crate was not forced loose in the cab, but there was nothing restraining it. You'd have to scoot the seat back as far as possible and maybe lower the seat back to try to secure it. I drive a Honda Element and there's way too much room behind the seat to secure a crate. Another good method used a crate in the back of an SUV or hatchback and with a wire barrier to the passenger area, though it's not clear whether the crate was strapped down somehow.

I can't tell you from these results the best way to secure your Yorkie in the car. I can only offer suggestions.

Harness - A car safety harness that attaches to a seat buckle may be strong enough for a little dog. Make sure it's durable and has metal buckles and clips. Make sure the tether is short enough that the dog wouldn't hit the back of the seat. The downside is that on the seat your little dog can't see out. And that makes for an unhappy ride. Oh, and if you find a small dog harness with a two-point attachment to the seat, please let me know!

Crate - A metal crate belted to the seat is less likely to break apart. A crate on the floor behind the front seat may be the safest, if you can secure it.

Car booster seats - Though not tested, some of the guidelines apply. The buckles and clips should be metal and able to withstand 210 pounds of force. The car seat should be held tightly by the seatbelt, not allowing it to move forward on impact. The movement of the car seat along with the harness tether should be short enough to prevent the pet from impacting the back of the front seat. Note that most pet car booster seats and merely that - boosters. They are not designed or advertised for safety. They are designed to let your Yorkie see out.

While we may not have the best options for our Yorkies, any type of restraint is better than having a loose dog in the car. Never put your Yorkie in the front seat, restrained or otherwise. The impact of the air bag would certainly kill a small dog. And never attempt to secure them by a collar, which could strangle or break the neck.

Let's hope we see laws and regulations in the U.S. for pet car safety. With regulation we may someday have products that really work. For now, do the best you can. Car makers, including GMC, Volvo and Subaru are getting into the action, building in restraint system for our pets. Keep watch for my next blog topic, where I'll give these a closer look.