Buckle Fido Up
A sixty-pound dog, unrestrained in a vehicle traveling at 30 mph, can cause an impact of 1,200 pounds. That’s enough to hurt another passenger in the vehicle or send Fido right through the windshield. Now, imagine how it could distract a driver who is trying to control the vehicle in an emergency.
That was the message from state troopers, who joined Volvo Cars North America and Bark-BuckleUp at the Chicago Auto Show to promote pet travel safety. But troopers made it clear that there is another important reason for Fido to buckle up. When emergency workers have to open the vehicle after an accident, sometimes the pet will prevent access. And if emergency workers do get the vehicle open, the pet is in danger of jumping out into oncoming traffic.
"Volvo believes this campaign to educate and inform consumers as to what happens after an accident will save lives." said Daniel Johnston, Product Communications, Volvo Cars of North America. “We all understand that unrestrained pets can be problematic; talking to emergency workers points up how dangerous it can be after the accident occurs. Volvo’s relationship is one of helping BarkBuckle Up get their message to people."
Bark-BuckleUp is an organization co-founded by Christine Selter, which is launching an international campaign about pet travel safety. “It’s like Myspace for pet owners,” says Selter. “Our group grew a lot during the pet food recall. We conduct focus groups and tests on different pet safety products and link to them on our website. Pet owners can read stories and get more pet safety information on BarkBuckleUP.com and our other pet owner website PawYard.com.”
For more about how to keep your best friend safe, see our Top 10 Tips for Traveling with Dogs.
Feb 26, 2008 1:49 pm
Categories: Car Maintenance
