More than 1.7 million UK drivers could be risking a £5,000 fine for not securing their pet safely in the car. That’s according to new research by Gocompare, which found 15 percent of dog owners don’t harness their animals or carry them inside a crate.
Securing a dog inside the car while driving is a legal requirement – and as important for your own safety as that of your pet.
In a separate survey by Ford, a quarter of people who admitted to allowing their dog ride unsecured also said their four-legged friend poked its head out of the window while on the move.
Some owners even said their pet had jumped free of the car. Others confessed that having a loose animal inside the vehicle had caused an accident.
Driving with a dog inside the car
For carrying a dog – or any larger pet – the best solution is a crate or carrier in the boot. This way, the animal is safely contained and isolated from passengers inside the car.
“If you have a pet, please think of its safety in the same way you would about any other member of the family,” explains dog training expert, Graeme Hall – known as ‘The Dogfather’.
“I always carry my dog Lily in the boot in her crate. She can comfortably move around and everyone’s safe. I believe that’s the best solution.”
If your car doesn’t have a large enough boot, the other solution is a dog seatbelt harness. Most plug into a seatbelt buckle on the rear bench, then can be adjusted to suit the size of your dog.
Leashes that simply attach to your dog’s collar and the belt buckle are not a safe solution.
Don’t leave pets in your car
This should go without saying, but it would be remiss of us not to offer a timely reminder: do not leave pets in a parked car.
Whatever the temperature outside, leaving your dog in a car for a long period of time is at best cruel. At worst, it’s animal abuse.
Carry your pets safely and only leave them inside the car for a long as strictly necessary.
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