FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edmunds.com and Bark Buckle UP Announce the Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — August 18, 2009 — Traveling in the car with the family pet is a common necessity for many of America's 71 million pet owners — 82 percent of dogs travel in cars during their lifetime. However, 98 percent of dogs travel unrestrained in moving vehicles, leaving both pets and the passengers vulnerable to injury in the event of a traffic accident. In a 35 mile per hour collision, an unrestrained 60-pound pet becomes a 2.700 pound projectile and can do much harm to other passengers.
In collaboration with the pet-safety experts from Bark Buckle UP, Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, has published a list of the Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles that make driving with pets safer and more convenient.
"It's in everyone's best interest for drivers to ensure that pets and their gear are safe and secure while on the road," said Kevin Smith, Edmunds.com's Editorial Director. "The best vehicles for pet owners are the ones with plenty of room and pet safety features such as tri-climate control, fold-flat rear seats, rear back-up cameras, sliding rear doors, and side airbags."
The top 10 2009 cars and trucks most highly recommended for safe pet travel, in alphabetical order, are:
- Dodge Journey
- Ford Flex
- GMC Acadia
- Hyundai Tucson
- Jeep Liberty
- Kia Borrego
- Mazda 5
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Subaru Tribeca
- Volvo XC70
"Regardless of which vehicle you own, it is critical to safely restrain your pet when you're driving," asserted Christina Selter, Bark Buckle UP Founder and Pet Safety Expert. "Even the calmest unrestrained pets can become frightened in a moving vehicle, distract the driver and cause an accident. In the event of a sudden stop or accident, the animal can injure other passengers or be thrown through the windshield, then hinder the efforts of rescue workers or even cause another accident by escaping into the street. We don't question the importance of seat belts for human passengers, and we should always provide the same protection for our pets."
For more information on automotive pet safety, read Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles and check Bark Buckle UP.
About Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com/about/)
Edmunds publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.
