At 30mph, your 25kg dog hits like a 1,000kg projectile. If your restraint fails, everyone in the car is at risk.
Rule 57 isn't just advice. If your dog isn't 'suitably restrained,' you face a £5,000 fine and points on your licence for careless driving.
Marketing labels are unregulated in the UK. Many budget harnesses pass for 'walking' but fail for 'impact.' Ask for the technical test report.
Force equals mass times acceleration. In a collision, your dog's weight multiplies by up to 50 times in mere milliseconds.
Standard plastic buckles often shatter under loads exceeding 150kg. A motorway impact creates forces far beyond that threshold instantly.
Safety-critical stitching follows 'Box-X' or 'W' patterns. This distributes force across the fabric, the same way your own seatbelt does.
A long lead allows your dog to gain momentum before snapping back. The safest attachment is short and static to limit 'excursion distance.'
Perfectly rigid steel crates can act as a battering ram. You want aluminium frames that deform to absorb energy, just like a car's crumple zone.
Hooking directly into your car's chassis is the gold standard. ISOFIX points are far stronger than standard plastic seatbelt buckles.
Webbing slack is dangerous. If you can fit more than two fingers under the harness, the 'jerk' during an impact will cause severe internal damage.
Airbags deploy with enough force to kill a dog. Always use the back seat or ensure the passenger airbag is manually deactivated.
Physics doesn't care about marketing labels. True safety is about managing energy, stopping rotation, and trusting the chassis, not the buckle.
See the full breakdown of crash tests, ISOFIX ratings, and the hardware specs you need to stay safe on the motorway.