Subaru working on making its cars safer for canine occupants

WE'VE all heard of crash test dummies - but how about crash test doggies? Subaru is exploring how to make cars safer for our furry friends.

Subaru is testing car safety for canine occupants.

SUBARU vehicles already score well in crash tests - but those test have always been aimed at the two-legged occupants.

Now the carmaker has turned it focus to four-legged passengers, working with the US-based Centre for Pet Safety on crash testing the car restraints sold for dogs - and creating better ones.

The non-profit pet advocacy group says most animal restraints will fail in a serious collision, injuring or killing the animal, and also any human they hurtle into during the crash.

The tests conducted at the centre using a 25kg dog test dummy - about the weight of a large kelpie - found that all the top-selling restraints failed in the 50km/h impact crash usually applied to child seat testing.

Subaru has announced it will fund a research program for the Centre to conduct further testing and help develop standards for the restraints.

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