Subaru And CPS Team Up For Next Round Of Pet Safety Product Crash Test

Amy Tokic
by Amy Tokic
To ensure that pets are protected in cars, Subaru and Center for Pet Safety are out to raise awareness of vital safety measures and identify top crates and carriers on the market.


When it comes to car travel, pet safety is a growing concern for pet parents. We’re taking our dogs with us everywhere we go – about 56 percent of American pet parents travel with their pets. But out of this group, one in five say they let their pet sit in their lap in the car – yikes! In order to make travel by car safer for your furry BFF, Subaru of America, Inc. announced its continued partnership with the Center for Pet Safety (CPS) for continued pet safety product crash testing.

Helping to promote pet safety, Subaru will fund CPS’s testing of pet crates and small carriers in crash situations. The study, designed by CPS (a non-profit research and consumer advocacy organization that’s not affiliated with the pet product industry), will include an investigation of crate connection options for pet owners who travel with their pets, as well as examine crate and carrier structural integrity, and gather data necessary to formulate testing and crate performance standards.


Related: Study Shows That Many Pet Car Seat Safety Restraints Are Ineffective


You may remember the first round of pet harness safety testing that was undertaken. These tests were the result of the CPS and Subaru partnership that began in 2013. The result: the Harness Crashworthiness Study that uncovered major differences in performance of popular pet restraints, with many resulting in catastrophic failure that could cause serious injury to both the pet and vehicle passengers. The goal of the study was to highlight the importance of driving safely with pets and to complete the first formal test protocol and independent ratings guidelines for pet travel harnesses, published by CPS in 2014. (The official resulted can be found on the CPS site or watch the video of the crash tests).


Related: Do You Make These 5 Dog Car Safety Mistakes?


According to Lindsey Wolko, founder and CEO of Center for Pet Safety, there are no performance standards or test protocols that currently exist in the U.S. for pet crates or carriers. As well, some pet safety product manufacturers claim to test their products, but these claims can’t be substantiated without uniform test standards and protocols. Subaru funding will help the CPS formulate a set of standards that pet safety manufacturers must meet in order to say that their product is certified “car safe.”


Subaru and CPS will work with MGA Research Corporation, an independent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contracted testing laboratory, to conduct rigorous crash testing on commonly available pet safety products using realistic, specially-designed crash test dogs. The results, including a crate sizing guide and best practice for securing pets in vehicles, will be shared later this summer.


Subaru is known for making pet-friendly and safe vehicles and this continued funding only strengthens their commitment to pet parents and their furry four-legged family members. Way to go, Subaru – Zoom, Zoom, from our Woof, Woofs!

Amy Tokic
Amy Tokic

Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross, and Zed, a Japanese Chin. Her love of animals began in kindergarten, when she brought her stuffed dog Snoopy into class with her every day. Now, she writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).

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