Car safety and dog harnesses: is your dog safe?

You’d never let a child ride in a car without wearing a seatbelt but what about your dog?   Almost half of all dog owners don’t secure their dogs in the car.  Equally as shocking, of those dog owners that do, most use faulty harnesses that fail at speeds as low as 20 km/h. In the event of a crash, this can cause even more trauma to your dog as it twists around its neck or legs and breaks.

Is your dog harness faulty?

In the US, the NRMA found that in addition to the webbing on dog harnesses being too narrow, the major flaw in the dog harnesses that failed their crash testing was the weak plastic buckles. These plastic buckles, similar to what is used on backpacks, simply couldn’t withstand the forces applied during even a low speed collision. So if your dog harness has plastic buckles, your dog most likely isn’t safe in your car. 

Although there are currently no laws requiring dogs in cars to be harnessed, the law does state that pets should not interfere with the driver. And in practice, the only way to make sure your dog stays secure and safe is harnessing. 

The SLINGGUARD solution

SLINGGUARD’s 2 in 1 Car Safety and Walking Harness and Car Safety Lead for Large or Heavy Dogs offer a more effective, safer solution for your dog. 

Our straps are sewn with parachute thread for additional strength and we don’t use plastic buckles, instead opting for much stronger, shatter-proof metal buckles.  The harness is strengthened all over for extra safety.   Our Car Safety Lead which can be plugged into a seat belt holder, or our extra strong Headrest Safety Lead also use an abseiling-grade self locking carabiner.

This robust build will keep your dog safer in the event of an accident when you’re on the road. However, we’ve also thought about comfort, with extra padding and a lightweight design so your dog can enjoy the ride.