How to travel safely and legally with your dog

Did you know it is illegal to travel with your dog loose in the car?

Over half of dog owners (56%) are not aware of the highway code when travelling with a dog

We all take our pooches out for a ride with us in the car, whether it be a trip to the beach or a dreaded visit to the vets. But when we put them in the foot well next to us are we actually breaking the rule? Yes is the answer!

Rule 57 of the highway code states when in a vehicle dogs or other animals must be suitably restrained so they can’t distract drivers or injure you, or themselves if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or guard are a few of the ways of restraining dogs in cars.

1 in 5 (22%) of British pet owners admit to not restraining their pets whilst in the car, and 12% would allow their dog to sit on the passenger seat unrestrained.

It is important to make sure that your dog is suitably restrained in order to prevent distraction when driving which 1 in 10 people admitted happened when driving with their dogs.

Looking for the best ways to travel with your dog safely in the car? One of the simplest ways can be placing your pooch in a cage in the boot, this counts as restraining them in the car and can actually work to your advantage by preventing all those muddy paw prints over the nice clean car!

The top 3 methods for restraining pets whilst travelling are:

1. Specific pet seat belt (30%)
2. Cage (29%)
3. Travelling grate/container (27%)