Are your dog boxes crash tested?
The short answer is no, and we’d like to explain why.
Safety is an important consideration when transporting dogs, and we understand why customers want to know whether a dog box has been crash tested.
We believe it’s important to be open and honest about what crash testing can demonstrate, and equally important to understand its limitations.
What does “crash tested” actually mean?
The term “crash tested” is used to describe several different testing methods. However, not all tests reproduce what happens in a real road accident.
Some manufacturers use Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which is a computer simulation predicting how a product may react to specified impact forces.
Others use sled testing, where a dog box is secured to a test platform and subjected to rapid acceleration or deceleration to simulate certain forces experienced during a collision.
Both methods can provide valuable information about a product’s structural strength, its ability to remain secured and its ability to contain a dog during the conditions being tested.
However, neither is the same as carrying out a full crash test involving a complete vehicle with the dog box installed.
Why does the vehicle make a difference?
Modern vehicles are designed and crash tested with carefully engineered structures that absorb and manage energy during a collision.
The rear luggage compartment of an estate car or SUV may form part of the vehicle’s impact-management structure.
A dog box positioned in this area can interact with the surrounding vehicle structure during a collision.
The outcome will depend on several factors, including the design of the vehicle, the size and construction of the dog box, how it is secured, and the direction and severity of the impact.
As we manufacture dog boxes to fit individual vehicle models, our boxes vary in shape and dimensions. Testing one particular box under one set of conditions would not automatically prove that every other box in every other vehicle would perform in exactly the same way.
Why haven’t we crash tested our dog boxes?
We have considered crash testing and have discussed the subject with a professional vehicle impact-testing facility.
Our concern is that a test on one particular dog box, under one specified set of conditions, could be misunderstood as a guarantee of protection in every vehicle and every type of accident.
A full assessment of collision performance would need to consider not only the dog box itself but also its installation, the surrounding vehicle structure and the forces experienced by the dog and other vehicle occupants.
Rather than make a broad crash-safety claim that we cannot substantiate across our product range, we prefer to be transparent about the testing we have and haven’t carried out.
How are our dog boxes constructed?
Our dog boxes are manufactured from durable 6 mm polypropylene sheet, with the panels plastic welded together to form a strong monocoque structure for the main enclosure.
They feature aluminium-framed doors with stainless steel mesh inserts inserted into the door structure, together with additional ventilation in the sides and rear.
Each design is tailored to make practical use of the available space within the intended vehicle.
Our approach is to manufacture well-fitting, durable and practical enclosures for transporting dogs, while recognising that no dog box can guarantee protection in every road accident.
Have your dog boxes been involved in real accidents?
Yes.
Over the years, customers have contacted us following road accidents in which our dog boxes were installed in their vehicles.
We have received photographs and accounts of accidents where the dogs survived unharmed and the boxes remained intact. In some cases, the boxes were subsequently used in replacement vehicles.
We are naturally pleased to hear these outcomes, particularly when the dogs have escaped injury.
However, every accident is different, and these individual experiences should not be confused with controlled crash-test results or a guarantee of performance in a future collision.
What is your advice to dog owners?
We believe dogs should always be transported in a suitably restrained enclosure, with attention paid to the fit and security of the box within the vehicle.
The Highway Code, Rule 57, advises that dogs and other animals should be suitably restrained so that they cannot distract the driver or cause injury during sudden braking.
We also encourage all drivers to travel responsibly, follow their vehicle manufacturer’s guidance on securing loads, and remember that no dog transport system can eliminate every risk associated with a road accident.
Our commitment is to provide customers with honest information, quality construction and vehicle-specific dog boxes, without making safety promises that cannot be guaranteed.