Car Safety With Your Dog

If you regularly enjoy taking your furry friend for a scenic drive, it’s important that you ensure to abide by the rules which are stated in the Highway Code. In order to avoid getting yourself into serious trouble. To discover how to abide by the law while still enjoying your precious drives with your dog, simply continue reading to discover a guide to driving safely with your dog, while abiding by the Highway Code.

Car Safety With Your Dog:

Ensure that your dog is properly restrained:

Did you know that it’s actually illegal to drive without having your dog restrained properly? The Highway Code specifies that you must restrain your dog before you start driving, so that your dog will cause you or itself damage, if your car were to come to an abrupt stop. It’s illegal to let your dog sit on your lap or your foot well and you must place your dog in a safe car restraint, before you put your foot on the gas pedal.

Not only can you or your dog sustain a serious injury, if you fail to adhere to the Highway Code and choose to let your dog roam free throughout your car, you may receive a hefty fine for ignoring the Highway Code. Worse yet, if the police officer who stops you, deems that you’re not an attentive driver, you may be given a court order.

Furthermore, if you’re involved in a road accident and it’s proven that you were at fault for causing the accident, your insurance company may deem that your insurance policy is invalid. As by failing to adhere to the clauses of the Highway Code, they are no longer legally bound to uphold your insurance policy.

Don’t let your dog place its head outside your car’s window:

While most dogs thoroughly enjoy hanging their heads outside car windows, it’s extremely dangerous to let your dog hang their head outside. Especially when you’re driving. As even if you pride yourself on being a safe, skilful driver, when you’re out on the open road, you’re not in control of the other drivers, who you have to share roads with.

As an example, if a small child were to run out onto the road after their ball, you may have to stop suddenly in order to avoid hitting them. If you allow your dog to hang its head outside the window, it may sustain a serious injury as a direct result of your car’s sudden stop. Instead make sure that your dog is placed in a high quality dog harness which has been designed specifically for car seats.

Don’t drive for extended periods of time without letting your dog stretch your legs:

Make sure to stop every 20-45 minutes, to let your dog stretch their legs and enjoy a bit of water. As it’s unsafe for your dog to drive for over an hour, without ensuring that your dog’s needs are taken care of.

Don’t worry though, if you make an effort to adhere by the Highway Code and to ensure that your dog is properly restrained during your drives, you’ll still be able to enjoy regular drives with your beloved canine friend.