Bark Buckle UP GOES International

August 18, 2008

After recognizing the Volvo XC90 as the 2008 Pet Safe Vehicle of Choice at the New York International Auto Show in March, Bark Buckle UP announces the expansion into Canada. The Bark Buckle UP mandate is to educate pet owners on the safest way to travel with their pets.

Christina Selter, Founder of Bark Buckle UP, awarded the Volvo XC90 as safe for pets because of its wire mesh accessory that installs in the cargo area, the vehicle’s multiple tie-down points to secure pet seatbelts or pet carriers and Volvo Car Corporation’s dedication to safety. For Selter and her group, the importance of properly securing a pet in a moving vehicle extends beyond the safety of the animal.

“Few people understand that a 27 kilogram dog becomes more than 1.2 tonnes of mass in a vehicle travelling at just 55 km/h,” she said. “In a frontal collision, an unrestrained pet can become a serious safety hazard. Things can get even worse for emergency responders who are the first on the scene of a collision. An unrestrained dog can be a danger to them and, if loose, can cause other vehicles to collide on the road.”

Pet safety experts from Bark Buckle UP have been travelling across the US to demonstrate pet travel products and promote awareness for safely travelling with pets. The group is working on plans to expand the pet safety roadshow to Canada.

“Volvo and Bark Buckle UP share a common goal: safety,” said Jeff Pugliese, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. “Whether two-or four-legged, the safety of the occupants in a moving vehicle is a primary concern for families and drivers everywhere. Pets of all kinds need to be properly restrained in a vehicle, not only for their own safety, but because of the potential distraction they can become for the driver and an unsecured hazard in the event of a collision.”

Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 42 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company's product range includes the stylish and sporty C30, the elegant C70 hardtop convertible, the compact S40 sedan, the S60 sport sedan, the S80 flagship sedan and the versatile V50 and V70 wagon. For customers looking for a Volvo vehicle with all-road capability, the company offers the versatile XC70 and XC90. Volvo Canada is also expanding its line-up with the introduction of the new XC60, a crossover with the award-winning City Safety system on the standard equipment list.

Volvo Supports Bark Buckle UP

Bark Buckle UP, the leader in the pet safety industry, has partnered with Volvo Cars North America, the benchmark company for auto safety. The campaign that will educate pet owners nationwide about pet travel safety. Kicking off today at Volvo Cars’ North American headquarters in Rockleigh, N.J., the Pet Safety Day campaign will teach pet parents how to properly secure their pets and travel responsibly.

Bark Buckle UP recently awarded the Volvo XC90 the Pet SAFE vehicle of choice. The Bark Buckle UP pet safety display can been seen at select Volvo retailers.

“Volvo believes this campaign to educate and inform consumers as to what can happen to pets after an accident will save lives,” states Doug Speck, President & CEO, Volvo Cars of North America. “This secondary, after the accident, issue makes perfect sense. We all understand the obvious logic unrestrained pets pose but we just never think about what can happen after an accident.” Our relationship is one of helping Bark Buckle UP get their message to people. “Volvo Builds Safety and Bark Buckle UP is Safety” said Christina Selter, Founder & Pet Travel Safety Advocate, Bark Buckle UP.

“Now is the time to educate consumers about the importance of pet safety restraints,” said Daniel Johnston, Product Communications, Volvo Cars of North America. “Summer is almost here and with many travelers wary of flight delays, families will bring their children - and their pets - to destinations accessible by car. Few people understand how dangerous traveling with an unrestrained pet can be. That’s why Volvo has partnered with Bark Buckle UP to sUPport Pet Safety Days and provide the tools travelers need to keep all family members safe.”

“We chose to partner with Volvo because we share a similar mission - to provide safety for all passengers - people and pets,” said Selter. “Currently less than 2% of American pet parents restrain their pets while traveling. Our goal, together with Volvo, is to educate people to ensure that pet safety, before and after an accident occurs becomes a top priority.”

Why Buckle

Why Buckle?

For decades, seat belts have been protecting families throughout the world from a baby in a car seat, a trucker on the road or a passenger in a car. As part of an overall occupant restraint system, seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers (the so-called second impact) and by preventing the passenger from being thrown from the vehicle.

Quote from NHTSA “Wearing your seat belt costs you nothing,” said Nicole Nason, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “But the cost for not wearing one certainly will. So, don’t risk it with a ticket or worse, your life. Please remember to buckle up day and night.”

Research has shown that lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent. For light truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent.

In 1955 Ford offered lap only seat belts in the rear seats as an option within the Lifeguard safety package. In 1967 Volvo started to install lap belts in the rear seats. In 1972 Volvo upgraded the rear seat belts to a three point belt.

It has been stated that in crashes, unbelted rear passengers increase nearly fivefold the risk of death for belted front passengers.

BUT what about our pets.

Bark Buckle UP campaign educates pet parents on how to put on and take off safety pet belts and the importance of securing their pet safely for travel.

While most of us, spurred by safety concerns and government regulations, wear seat belts as a matter of course, we don't always think about restraining our dogs when they're our passengers. But going without a restraint poses dangers to dogs and drivers alike. In the event of a sudden stop or accident, a dog can become a flying projectile that can injure you, your passengers or be thrown through the windshield. Accidents do happen everyday.

In an accident, an unrestrained animal is dangerous to the human passengers as well. Even in an accident of only 30 mph, a 15-pound child can cause an impact of more than 675 pounds. A 60-pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, a windshield, or another passenger. Even if the animal survives, it can impede the progress of rescue workers for whom every moment is precious.

Unrestrained pets can also distract the driver, and cause an accident. Even pets that are normally well behaved could be frightened by something unusual and dive for the driver's feet or lap. Following a car accident, an unrestrained pet could escape and be hit by another vehicle or cause another collision. A frightened dog may attack strangers who are trying to help.