Does anyone know what the law is on dogs travelling in cars. We have a 4-wheel drive and put the dog in the back (behind the back seat), untethered and free to move around. She never jumps over into the back seat when we are driving along, as she has learnt not to.
Chatting to a friend, I have heard that this is illegal now, and that she has to be in a cage, or in a harness on the back seat. Is this true?

That's a new one on me.  In one car we have a netting type thing that came with the car that prevents the dog being catapaulted through the car in the eventa of an accident but in the other car we haven't got that and our dog is also 'free' to move about.  Not heard of any law. 

I think the law applies to dogs carried in caravans, or rather not being allowed to be carried in them...I think for your friends OWN safety, they would be better off caging, netting, securing the dog some way...just imagine a very heavy missile hitting the back of your head in an emergency stop situation! Which is why I also cage mine, with an escape hatch built into the cage, should the worse happen All the best, Dawn

No, it's not true. A cage or a harness is advisable, but not compulsory.

I used to have a Nissan Almera and to get my two greyhounds in I had to put the back seats down and have them roaming around the back. Fortunately nothing ever happened and they are very good in the car but I was always worried about them going through the wind screen and generally distracting me. I now have a car (Renault Scenic) in which they fit in the boot area and I have a dog guard and it feels much safer - I think they feel safer too as Stamford used to get a bit stressed in the old car but just goes to sleep in the new one. I am thinking about getting a tail guard put in too - they are very good about not jumping out until I tell them they can - but if they spotted a squirrel they might well get selective deafness.

I don't believe it is law yet, but feel it should be.

I don't feel the real issue is if your dogs are well behaved in a vehicle. To me, the concern is what happens in the event of an accident? I do not think most people realise the impact that loose 'items' (including dogs) have in a crash. In the event of an accident, the last thing you need is to be hit from behind by 40lb+ of solid dog. Many drivers and passengers have received serious injury or even death by being hit by 'missiles' that are flung around inside a car in the event of an accident. You also have the horrors caused when dogs are ejected from vehicles in RTA. Rarely do the animals live to tell the tale. Personally, I think all animals should be restrained inside all vehicles. Car cages are a wise investment and one that could save your life .. and theirs.

Don't know if anyone remembers that advert of the mother picking her son up. He didn't wear his seat belt (effectively the same as a dog) and in the car crash he went full force into his mothers seat - he came off with a few bruises and she died.

I agree that it should be a law as there is just so much damage that can occur from a fast impact of a dog hitting your back seat or going through the windscreen.

A friend of mine got pulled up by the police with her dog sitting in the front seat next to her.  The policeman advised her to make sure the dog was secure with a harness seat belt if in the car.  It made her think and the dog now sits beside her with his seat belt on which she said does make her feel better.  Apparently not law, but the police can obviously advise you on it.

The law regarding to dogs in vehicles hasn't been changed & there are no plans @ this time to do so(I'm on a consultancy group for the Highway Code & any changes)

>43: When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you if you stop quickly.

from here Any part of the HC that is law has the law anotated in red below it

So it can be read that dogs must be caged, harnessed, be behind a dog gaurd????

I know my Grandad got stoped for not having his seatbelt on once by the police but got let off as all the dogs were secure!

That's good, I wish more policepeople would do that - I've seen quite a few little dogs up on the rear shelves in hatchbacks.  My friend once mentioned seeing a terrier type like that - she said every time the driver braked the dog fell off the shelf then hopped back up.  My friend found it hilarious - I found it horrifying, and I said as much.

My three are always behind a dog guard, and the guard itself is tied to the headrests with string - I have the back seats down and it won't stay in place otherwise.  I've had Opi in the front in the past loose, when she was a youngster - but she was always excellent, used to just sit there and not move a muscle.  But I was always worried about what would happened if I had to brake hard.  I do remember reading about someone who lost their two year old rottweiler - he was sat on the back seat, she had to brake hard and the dog went over the passenger seat and broke his neck.

At my last college there were also posters on this, about a mini schnauzer that went through a windscreen and now isn't allowed to travel in a car without a harness.  Whether it's true or just advertising I don't know, but I do think there should be more things like that about to raise awareness.

many years ago, when i had my old bull terrier, she used to go in the front seat of my jeep, well it only had two seats in and she was always in her harness that was made for the seat belt, the jeep was also used as a soft top and she had always been in the jeep like that, two police men pulled up at the traffic lights next to us and smiled and then about a mile down the road they pulled us, they just wanted to check that she was fastned in and have a cuddle with her as they both by chance loved the breed they said that they had been to quite a few accidents caused by dogs being loose in cars etc and hitting the back of the drivers or passenger seats, but what made me laugh was when they said she needed sunglasses on her to stop the wind making her eyes water when the roof was down, so my husband bought her a pair of pink sunglasses and she wore them in the jeep when the roof was down and her eyes did water less, i was known as the lady with the barbie jeep and the dog with glasses on, now i have a transit van and all the dogs are in cages, and if they go in my husbands car they are behind the dog guard until cages are fitted in that one, we still have the harness for the seat belt but have no use for it yet , but you never know......
carolann

The only law that loose dogs can be prosecuted under (to my knowledge) is as an insecure load

Jill

I've heard though that in the front seat, if you have a crash and the airbag flies out, that can injure or kill the dog. I used to let Henry ride in the front with me, but not any more. :-(

To be honest I was told the same about this time last year but heard no more about it. We both drive estates with dog guards in and kez roams free in the boot with just his collar on.

Unfortunalty we were in a quite serious car accident last april, we were hit from behind by a boy racer doing about 80mph who lost control thankfully we were only doing about 40mph but still the combined speed was 120mph.

Anyway we had a brand new mondeo only a few weeks old which took the impact well and Kez was in the boot. However to this day I still believe he avoided any injury because he was not secure and not restricted, only kept in by his dog guard. I think if he had a harness on in the boot he maybe would have had chest injurys or whiplash. Thankfully he was fine, got him checked over to be safe and put him straight back in the car for a trip to the beech so he didn't become frightened.

It scares me the thought of what might have been if he had been on the front seat and back seat unsecure. It does not bear thinking about.

Tough one, theres a risk in everything....

Wizaid - i think you are very lucky, it could have gone the other way and Kez could have got out of your car frightened onto a busy road had the accident caused the boot to open! This has happened in the past and panicked dogs on busy roads will cause more accidents and likely end up killed themselves.

There again, dogs in crates in the back of cars have been crushed in an accident - dogs secured by harnesses cant escape if the vehicle catches fire.

Dogs loose can prevent emergency services from getting an injured owner out....

I think it has to be what you personally feel safe with, each choice has its downsides and plus points.

changing the point slightly,theres a woman that i see driving around and she has her small dog on her lap with its head out of the window WHILE SHE IS DRIVING. thats just madness . i hope she gets pulled over by the police. the same woman walks her dog off lead(its fat,slow,old) and it wanders out into the road, and twice ive had to stop my car while she retrieves it fom the road, laughing and smiling at me like its all harmless fun. :rolleyes:

Can't agree more theemx that he could have got out in a panic and caused more trouble, I have heard some awful stories in the past :rolleyes:. Thankfully it was a country road in the middle of wales, not much traffic around and what traffic there was stopped as the cars covered both sides of the road. Thankfully I think with the newer cars it would take an awful lot for the boot to spring open but an awful thought all the same. I am hoping it will never happen again. Thankfully I was able to get out of the car myself and get him, Kez bless him was more excited about all the people fussing around him and playing with him to even have been bothered by what had happened wish the same could be said for me, 12 months end still get flash backs

I've never been sure what to do to provide safe but comfortable restraint. At the moment I have a harness which keeps my Westie on the back seat, but once or twice I have had to brake hard and he has fallen on to the floor, it is just not possible to have the harness so tight that this doesnt happen because of the section which clicks into the seat belt clip thing. My husband has an estate car and he says that the dog is happier in the boot of his estate because he lies down and goes to sleep, whereas with the harness he sits up and doesnt relax. He thinks that because a westie is a small dog it could not fly over the top of the seats in a collision because the back of the back seat is higher than the dog. Do you think this is true? I have thought about a crate but if all the family are in the car there isnt room for a crate and the luggage. Also I have side airbags as well as front so surely he could be injured in a harness on any seat in the car!! I'm not sure there is an answer.....

We have always had dogs guards in our boots and to be honest I have always had large breeds so never really thought about it from a little ones point of view and weather he would fly over the seats but better to be safe than sorry. Kez is more relaxed in the boot, my father in law once had to take him in his back seat and he shaked for the whole trip

I used to use a harness on my dog in the back seat and I stopped him falling off by getting a hammock seat cover which he liked much more
You can get these from wilkinsons for about £15 (if I remember right). It stops your seats getting mucky too :-D
GG

>You can get these from wilkinsons for about £15 (if I remember right).

£5 from wilkinsons ;)

Are they guaranteed for safety as would want them checked as much as any car seat that I would put my two legged girls :)

i have been told that if you are in an accident and have a dog in the car, if it is discovered that your dog was not secured into the car your insurance is void and the cause of the accident becomes that of the dog

tanya

No dog seat belt has been approved to BS/EN/ISO standards as of yet.  As Trevor Turner recently wrote, the seat belts may prevent your dog from escaping the vehicle but they do NOT prevent injury to the dog in certain cases.  But no cage has been approved to these standards either as far as I am aware.  Personally I would not us a harness but I appreciate that others may not have the same vehicular arrangements as me.  I prefer cages because it stops the dogs destroying the car, keeps my shopping safe, means that I can have all the windows and tailgate open if I have to park for some time as their cages are padlocked and of course keeps them safe from harm should a crash happen and, of course other motorists and road users safe from frightened dogs who may bite them or run in front of traffic.

Insurance policies vary and it is important to verify the FACTS of them before panicking.  Insurance claims are paid, not paid and any monies may be reduced SHOULD THE factor or ONE of the factors in a crash be an unrestrained dog.  If it is found that the unrestrained dog had not part to play I doubt if your insurance would be void ..................

>the seat belts may prevent your dog from escaping the vehicle but they do NOT prevent injury to the dog in certain cases.

I remember that arguement being used a lot when mandatory seat belts for humans were introduced :D  Despite peoples reservations the injury and death rate fell considerably.  It may be a little different for dogs as, like you say, the belts are not covered by any national regulations so their fit and efficiency may always be a little suspect but, even so I think they are likely to be better than a missiling (proper word?) dog.  Crates again not covered by any regulations or national standards so can never be sure they would hold up in a collision, even very strong looking mesh will only be as strong as the joints so always look carefully at them when purchasing.  In addition the best place for them is surely within the passenger area of the car as boot areas are very often designed to crumple to protect this!
Your physics is a bit wonky by the way Wizaid ;) if both vehicles were moving in the same direction the combined force is equivalent to 40 MPH (80 minus 40) :)

Seat belts have been designed and TESTED on dummies for humans they have NOT for dogs therefore they can only be considered a containment device not a totally SAFETY device.

I do not know of any dogs that have been harmed in a crash whilst in their cages and quite often these cages are made from galvanised steel that is NOT designed to crumple.

Of course we can make sure our dogs are totally safe by not putting them in cars at all, nothing in life is risk free and we have to make risk assessments using the correct criteria looking at the hazards posed and the likelihood and severity of the outcome.  Hence, as a trained risk assessor, I have opted for crates! ;)

>Seat belts have been designed and TESTED on dummies for humans they have NOT for dogs therefore they can only be considered a containment device not a totally SAFETY device.

I think I said that :)
The cages may not be designed to crumple but they may do if the who ever has made them has not had the facilities to test them in those kinds of forces.  As I say, you can make them from whatever ever wonderfully strong material you like they will only be as strong as the joints which may be solder of another material.

>Of course we can make sure our dogs are totally safe by not putting them in cars at all, nothing in life is risk free and we have to make risk assessments using the correct criteria looking at the hazards posed and the likelihood and severity of the outcome. 

I agree, I used a box in the hatch :) but I don't think we should kid ourselves that we have it all covered :)

AS I said, NOTHING in life is risk free, several deaths a year occur when people are dressing themselves, getting out of bed and making tea.

The only totally safe condition is DEATH ! :D :D

You know I never thought of it like that only being 40 mph just felt like 120mph at the time

Hi does anyone use a dog booster seat that you secure your dog into? Are they any good?
I have a terrier that i was thinking of getting one for, I like the solvit ones but can only find them in the states and postage is more than the seat!

I bet it did!  :)  It's still quite a whack but I think if it had been a head on and had amounted to 120 MPH you would not be here to tell us.