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Thursday 9 September 2010

Car crash fears

I just witnessed a horrible crash on the motorway and it really shook me up. It has made me worried about driving with my dog. The crashed car's tailgate had opened during the crash and I am worried what would have happened if there'd be a dog in there.
I have a portable, adjustable generic dog guard in my car and now that I look at it I do wonder how it would stand up to the force of a crash. My dog is quite a large one and I just fear that a collision from the rear might mean they'd hit the guard hard and it would come loose and probably him me on the back of the head and that my dog could end up going through the front window.
I realise I'm probably just in shock after seeing an accident and I'm now imaging all sorts of ghastly possibilities.
What is the safest way to transport a GSD in an estate.
Up until today I was just tethering my dog to a point in the back of the car and using an extendable dog guard that stretches to fit the gap.
How can I do it better?
Tessa Harold, Watford

I’m convinced that my Barjo tailgate guard saved my dogs’ lives. I was driving along the A34 one afternoon last July in stop/start traffic and when the car in front of me stopped I did too, but the large white van following me didn’t and smashed right into the back of me. My first thought was that from that impact the dogs must be dead; it was so powerful that it had damaged even my driver’s door and I could not open it. An Army driver in front managed to wrench my door open and I was amazed to see my dogs appeared fine. 
The police appeared on the scene almost immediately, and were absolutely fantastic. One of them in particular was very knowledgeable about dogs and helped me get them out. The tailgate was so badly damaged that we could not open it, and we had to entice the dogs over the top of the back seat, and out onto the dual carriageway. Luckily I had a couple of spare leads in the front of the car, as there was no way I could retrieve the ones I had left in the back, and this is something I would recommend to any owner – controlling dogs on a busy road without leads would be a nightmare.
My car was a complete write-off. I was of course shaken up but my two Goldies were totally unhurt. Without the guard they would not be here today. When I got my new car, the first thing I did was have a Barjo tailgate guard fitted!
Pat Hillier

7 comments:

  1. Hi Tessa

    What a ghastly thing to witness - no wonder you are shaken-up! There are several different ways to secure dogs in cars, but it amazes me how often I see dogs loose in cars. Not only could they cause an accident by taking the driver's attention off the road, they could also harm themselves and the car's occupants in the event of a crash, and if they get free the consequences don't bear thinking about.
    I had a really bad car accident myself some years ago, actually on the way to a training class with my young Airedale. It was an awful evening, the road was wet and slippery. I went round a bend to see a car coming straight for me on my side of the road. There was no time to avoid a collision. Luckily I still don't remember the actual impact, but I came to to the smell of gas (the air bag had gone off) and in a very odd position. The rear of my car was actually in a ditch; I couldn't open my door. Luckily the first person on the scene was an off-duty policewoman, who closed the road and called the paramedics. She also called my husband from my mobile.
    This lovely lady promised to stay with my dog in the car until my husband arrived, as I refused to leave her otherwise.
    But the point of this story is that she was in a proper car crate in the back of my car, specifically made to fit that make and model. The crate was made by Barjo (the best you can get imo) and she had to be brought out through the escape hatch as the car was upended.
    Both cars were written-off. The other driver, with no air bag, suffered a broken collar bone; I was in a lot of pain and the doctor thought I had a hairline fracture of the sternum.
    Tasha, however, while shaken-up and worried by loud noises (she could obviously recall the impact) suffered no real injury.
    All my cars since then have been fitted with made-to-measure Barjo crates with escape hatches. I would heartily recommend you look into having one fitted!

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  2. Those pressure fitted guards will not stand up to the weight of a GSD, even if the shape of the car doesn't change after a collision.

    There is a company that makes crash tested crates, but I'm not sure if they have escape hatches, which can be important.

    To be fully secure any crate should be bolted to the car body.

    How are you tethering your dog? If it's just with a normal collar or harness this will also not stand up to your dog's weight. I've seen collars and leads snap just because the dog has seen something it fancied when tethered and went after it.

    The very best thing you can do to keep your dog safe is stay alert and pay attention to the road. Most 'accidents' are down to one or other driver not paying attention. Although you can't guard against some idiot on the phone, at least if you see him coming you may be able to get out of his way. On mototways, keep your distance, I stil chant 'only a fool breaks the two second rule' as I'm driving, and keep your speed suitable for the conditions.

    Try taking an advanced driving course - well worth the money!

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  3. I do not recommend the extendable dog guards to my clients. Even stopping suddenly can be dangerous. I know of one instance where a GSD owner braked sharply, the dog flew forwards, popped through the extendable dog guard and landed on her feet, pressing the foot pedals of the car downwards uncontrollably! Luckily in this instance the car engine had stalled when she stopped. A full-on crash may not necessarily be what happens but your dog - and you, and passengers - could still be harmed without secure travel equipment.

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  4. Julie Mitchell Barjo Cages and Guards Ltd13 September 2010 at 02:40

    here at Barjo we have heard many horrific stories from our customers about dogs in cars not being carried safely. We recommend a vehcile cage or the dog guard and Tailgate guard.Only last week i received a letter from a very satisfied customer who had a Barjo Tailgate guard fitted to her nissan Xtrail. She was hit in the back at 60mph the car was written off, the Barjo Tailgate guard stayed in place and she beleives it saved her 2 dogs lives.The back window was smashed as well as the back end of the car.The dogs and herself walked away completely unscathed. We feel very strongly about dogs being carried safely not only for the dog but for the people in the car. For example an unrestrained Border Collie type dog being thrown from the back of the car and hitting a passenger at 30mph would weigh one and a half tonnes.Also if your dog escapes from a damged vehicle and is free on the road or motorway creating further mayhem resulting in its death or another accident. The only foolproof protection is a proper car cage (not an indoor cage) with an escape door or a minimun requiremnet a proper fitting Dog guard and Tailgate guard made specifically for the vehicle.

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  5. What a horrible thing to have witnessed! It never ceases to amaze me how many people are unaware that according to law, all animals in moving vehicles must be suitability restrained” and that “no person shall transport any animal in a way which causes or is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering to that animal.”
    Luckily there are lots of options available to help keep your GSD safe.

    One is to contact the manufacturer of your car and ask if a custom dog guard is available. This may be one of the more expensive routes to take, but the guards are normally bolted into the car itself which makes them extremely robust.

    A second option is to look for a company that offers custom built, "crash tested" guards and crates. There are several companies on the internet and prices vary according to build quality and size. Savic do a range of sturdy crates which are easily available in the shops, however, I am unaware of any crash tests for this model so you may wish to contact the manufacturer direct.
    Further options include popping into your local pet shop and having your dog fitted with a car safety harness. These are useful for short trips, or for times when you need extra boot space. The harness MUST be fitted correctly, as too tight can cause increased damage on impact, and too loose will prevent the harness from doing its job. There are lots of different styles to choose from, but my personal favorite is the Company of Animals Clix Car Safe Harness which comes in a range of easily adjustable sizes and also features a padded chest protector.
    Claire Goyer BA(Hons.), HND – The Haslemere Pet Company

    The United Kingdome Highway Code,

    Article 4(1) of The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order, 1997

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  6. Gill here from Safedog - we're the ones who sell the crash tested car crates. Yes there is an escape hatch at the back of the crate, so if you're unfortunate enough to be rear ended (or even if the tailgate electrics fail) you can bring your dog through the passenger compartment of the car. Our crates have been extensively tested by the manufacturers in Sweden. They're also extendable to suit the length of your vehicle, which means that if you're driving a Vauxhall Vectra now and then downsize to a Vauxhall Astra then you just reduce the length of the crate to fit your new car. We started the business after my car was hit by an off-duty policeman, and whilst the dogs were safely at home at the time, we pondered the 'what if' scenarios, albeit they travelled on harnesses at the time.

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  7. These two tales of car accident are terrifying! Whether you are a victim or a mere spectator of the accident, it can still cause immeasurable trauma to you and your pet. We cannot predict when accidents like this might happen, but the best way to go is to prepare. Prepare you vehicle, your pet and yourself for these kinds of events.

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