In the event of a car crash, you want your whole family to be safe – and that includes the four-legged family members. But will a car harness actually save your dog from injury? And will it keep other passengers in the car safe?
Engineers from the NRMA Insurance Research Centre tested six car harnesses for dogs and found only two would offer protection for you and your pet in a collision.
Buckle up, boy
An effective harness is critical when travelling with a dog.
- It keeps the animal safe and restrained.
- The driver is less likely to be distracted by their pet moving around.
- An unrestrained dog could injure other passengers in a collision.
Crash test puppy
NRMA's testing was conducted by dropping weighted harnesses at speeds of up to 35km/h. The in-car testing was conducted using a specially modified crash test car at speeds of up to 20km/h.
Of the six harnesses tested, only two restrained the 'dummy'. This was due to weak plastic buckles similar to those used on many backpacks.
Verdict
People who use a dog harness want to keep their pets safe. However, the testing has shown that most harnesses were effective at restraining pets while driving, but do little to prevent injury in a common low-speed crash.
| Harness | Result |
|---|---|
| Purina Roadie | Pass |
| Sleepypod Clickit | Pass |
| Animates Car Safety Harness | Fail |
| Black Dog Car Harness | Fail |
| Masterpet 2 in 1 Car Harness | Fail |
| Rudducks Car Harness | Fail |
Source: Information provided by the NRMA Insurance Research Centre in December 2013
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
