"Crash-tested" means nothing if the hardware snaps at 100 km/h. Your dog's life depends on physics, not marketing fluff.
At 50 km/h, a 25kg Golden Retriever hits like a 1,000kg weight. That's a literal tonne of force aimed at your windshield or your seat.
Canadian winters turn cheap plastic buckles brittle. In a collision on the 401, they don't just unclip—they explode into dangerous shards.
Look for climbing-grade carabiners rated for 20kN. If it’s zinc die-cast, it’s not safety gear; it’s a failure point waiting to happen.
Collisions in Canada often involve spins. A single tether on a collar turns your dog's neck into a pivot point for catastrophic spinal injury.
A long tether lets your dog accelerate before the 'snap.' Short leads are safer because they catch the mass before momentum peaks.
If a harness is too rigid, the stop is too sudden for internal organs. You want 'dynamic' webbing that stretches slightly to absorb the energy.
Never put a harness over a puffy parka. In a crash, the fabric compresses instantly, leaving enough slack for your dog to fly out.
A harness must be fit directly against the dog's body. If you can fit more than two fingers under the strap, it's a projectile hazard.
Road salt and moisture lead to hidden rust. Even a tiny bit of fraying in the webbing reduces its break-strength by over 50%.
Transport Canada doesn't regulate these. You are the engineer. You must demand independent test results, not just marketing labels.
Stop looking at the colour and start looking at the kilonewtons. Real safety on Canadian roads is about managing kinetic energy before it manages you.
See the full engineering breakdown and the hardware checklist for your next Canadian long-haul.