This week (17-23 Nov) is Road Safety Week in the UK, an awareness week spearheaded by the charity Brake, which is dedicated to making local communities safer and supporting people effected by road traffic accidents.
The latest information from Brake is that 1,695 people died on UK roads in 2023 and 28,967 people were seriously injured. Tavo Pets has extrapolated information from vet clinics and estimates that approximately 240,000 animals are injured in car accidents every year.
Brake reports no significant reduction in injuries on UK roads in the past five years and an exclusive study by Tavo revealed over half (59%) of Brits travelled in a car with their dog entirely unsecured during the first six months of 2024. Of these, almost 1 in 10 (9%) have travelled in the most dangerous way possible, with the dog sitting on their lap.
What causes road traffic accidents on UK roads?
Insurers claim that road accidents peak around 3pm in afternoon and ‘distraction’ is most often cited as the root cause. Afternoon rush hour, with drivers hurrying to get home amid a surge of pedestrians, school pick up, children distracting the driver, and drivers being less alert in the afternoon than in the morning are all plausible reasons why more accidents happen mid-afternoon on UK roads.
Another worrying statistic is that most road traffic accidents occur within a 10-mile radius of the home, and experts suggest, ‘driving on autopilot in a familiar setting’ is a strong indication as to why this happens.
Expert veterinary surgeon and author, Dr Scott Miller BVSc, who is well known for his TV appearances on BBC Breakfast and ITV’s This Morning, and Becky Guy, Road Safety Manager, England, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) joined forces with Tavo during the summer months, to raise awareness of the danger dog owners are putting themselves, and their pets into by not suitably restraining their pets in the car.
Dr Scott warned: ‘I see a lot more injuries than you want to imagine which are caused by dogs not being securely fastened in cars. Whiplash, torn nails, and fractures, even death can occur when your pet is flung around the car in an accident. We wouldn’t travel with our children unprotected, so why are we putting our treasured pets in danger?”
Becky Guy, Road Safety Manager, England, RoSPA added: At 30mph, an unrestrained dog could be thrown forward with a force of 30 to 60 times their own body weight.
“Ensuring pets are safely secured in vehicles not only protects them and passengers, but also reduces the chances of the pet distracting the driver. Driver distraction is a contributory factor in many collisions on our roads. If animals are secured properly, the chances of serious injury are reduced. When a dog is safely secured in a vehicle it will protect the pet, the driver and other passengers.’
How to protect dogs from road traffic accidents?
Brake advocates driving slowly in community settings and winding rural roads, switching your phone off and putting it into the glove box, and embing safety awareness in children from a young age. For pets, The Highway Code suggests a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as ways of restraining. However, Tavo, the business behind the research, provides the safest way for dogs to travel in cars, with the pet secured inside a car seat carrier that is attached to the car using the isofix fittings, similar to child car seats. The isofix fittings prevent rotation in the event of a crash.
Tavo dog car seats are side impact and crash-test-certified to the latest United Nations ECE child restraint standard, to provide the very best solution in pet safety. Whereas with other pet car seat products, it’s the strength and integrity of the product that is tested, with Tavo a model is placed inside the carrier while the crash testing is carried out, to ensure the whole unit is properly evaluated for the pet’s safety.
Dr Scott explains why Tavo provides the safest option for dogs in cars “The best option is to look at pet carriers, specifically designed for the task that have been crash tested to ensure the inhabitant is as safe as possible and that is what Tavo provides. It’s an essential piece of kit for any pet owner who wants peace of mind when travelling with their pet in the car.”
Tavo is available to view and purchase at Halfords across the UK instore and online.
