I don't speak german, but the video speaks for itself on transporting dogs safely.
http://www.adac.de/adactv/test_technik/Tiertransporte.asp?ComponentID=213764&SourcePageID=213708

Shannon

Dang!

I felt pretty good about my crate. I never thought about a wreck being that violent with the dog secured in a crate. Rethinking it now.

Wish they would have showed the dog riding in the driver's lap.

Thanks for posting this.

 Quote:

I felt pretty good about my crate. I never thought about a wreck being that violent with the dog secured in a crate. Rethinking it now.

I have always tied my crates down over the top similar to the small crate they had seat belted in. Not sure now with the way that crate disintegrated whether that is a wise move. Although it is probably better than 150lbs hitting me in the back of the head going 60mph.

Anybody understand enough german to know how fast the test cars were traveling?

Shannon

Holy Cow,

Great Link. Thanks!

Melissa

 Quote: Shannon Reed

. . . Although it is probably better than 150lbs hitting me in the back of the head going 60mph.
Anybody understand enough german to know how fast the test cars were traveling?
Shannon

I think the only real difference will be whether your head has crate marks all over it or not. I suspect those cars are going a lot less than 60mph.

Stand on the side of a road where cars are only traveling 30mph or so. Then imagine one of them hitting you at that relatively slow speed. In your car, you've got a little something around you along with your seatbelt and shoulder harness. And your dog?

I think a dog would be better off bouncing off some of the padded interior than being thrashed around inside a wire cage. And don't forget, you can get hit from any direction.

One of the instructors at school the other day blacked out and fell forward on his face, fractured his jaw, etc. During a discussion about it later, someone said if a 6-ft person falls forward/backward and hits their head, it's going about 40mph when it hits. Don't know if thats accurate or not, but people die from striking their head in those kind of falls. Seems like it could be the same result for a dog.

To me, having the dog is a decent restraint system is a no-brainer. But then 20% of the population don't even wear seat belts themselves.

Mike

I had an accident where another car drove fast and in the middle of the road out of a blind curve. It was a two place pickup (not mine) that whould probably have saved me if I had hit the other car but I had my dobie on the second seat (dumb, I know) so I went out of the road and rolled. The only thing in my mind as I wathed the car deform and glass break was "Oh s**t, Veeda is loose!!!" Fortunately we were both completely unharmed.

I cant get the video to work for me. Internet is slow today. Did they show the results of one of those dog harnesses that buckle to a seat belt? If so what was the results?

 Quote: Matt Wyrick

I cant get the video to work for me. Internet is slow today. Did they show the results of one of those dog harnesses that buckle to a seat belt? If so what was the results?

The buckle broke and the dog went head first into the seat.

The results for the harness showed the metal clasp breaking and the dog smashing into the seat in front of him. Not good.

The things that stood out to me in the video which could be beneficial in a crash were
1. the best place for a small crate was on the floor in the rear seat area with the door not facing front.
2. For a large crate placing it in the rear cargo area sideways(door not facing front or rear).
3.Securing the seat belts in the back seat even without passengers will help to keep the rear seats in place as the force of the large crate pushes against it on impact.
4. Do not seat belt a plastic crate in as in the crash test the crate disintegrated causing the animal to be ejected.
5. A loose dog goes straight through the front windshield.

**all the test were done with a front end collision

Shannon