I have just rescued a wonderful adult crossbreed, who comes everywhere with me. However, I am concerned about his safety when he travels in the car as he just lies down on the back seat and is not strapped in in any way. How can I make sure my dog is safe and secure when we go for a drive and what does the law say about dogs in cars?
Millie Stanton
There are currently no legal guidelines on car safety for dogs. However a dog harness, which attaches to the seatbelt, will help ensure both you and your dog are safe when travelling. The colliding force of an average sized unrestrained dog at 30mph (e.g. a Border Collie) would be equivalent to nine 12-stone men, according to RoSPA statistics, so you’re absolutely right to consider a restraint. RAC has a selection of dog harnesses in its webshop, visit www.racshop.co.uk. These range in size from small to jumbo, prices start at £7.99. You could also consider a pet carrier, cage or guard.
If you and your dog are regular travel companions make sure you also build in plenty of stops on journeys and always have lots of water available to drink. The RAC shop stocks an excellent travel water bottle for dogs too.
Additional RAC safety tips for dogs in cars this summer:
• NEVER leave your dog in the car in direct sunlight - they can dehydrate and die quickly
• Park in the shade, leave them with a window open and a bowl of water. If you cannot park in the shade, always take your pet with you.
The RAC
Restraining a dog when travelling in the car is vital, not only for your own safety and that of your passengers, but that of your dog, too! While crates are very effective at restraining a dog and preventing them from causing a distraction, many crates break-up on impact, thus resulting in loose pieces of metal and an unrestrained dog.
The CLIX CarSafe safety harness can be plugged directly into your existing seatbelt sockets and can also be used for walking your dog. Soft neoprene padding covers all points of contact to ensure maximum protection in the event of a crash, with particular focus on the central chest protector.
The unique 'X-Cross' design creates a comfortable and ergonomic fit, keeping the harness in the optimum position, even during movement. CLIX CarSafe harness is made from approved safety-standard seat-belt material in a continuous loop, to give extra strength.
Fitting and use are easy, thanks to the double-sided adjustable buckles which enable you to clip the harness together without having to manipulate the dog's legs. The harness can be securely attached by either plugging straight into the seat-belt socket or by sliding the seat-belt through the harness. The seatbelt connector can also be tucked away so that the dog can wear it off-lead, too.
Clare Butters, The Company of Animals
A Pet Tube might be the answer.
Pet Tubes, are made from the same lightweight but super-strong fabric and to the same high specifications as the award winning Dog Bag. However they come in a useful tube shape especially designed for use on the rear seats of cars. They strap securely to the back of the seat, allowing good ventilation and visibility while keeping your dog safely on the back seat. The large Pet Tubes can be altered in length to provide more or less room for other passengers. They also make a major contribution to keeping dog hairs etc. off the seats! Pet Tubes come in two sizes, and prices start at £59.95. Call 015396 21884 for further details, or visit www.roofbox.co.uk
Lucy, The Roofbox Company
You can buy harnesses that you can either plug straight in to the seatbelt thingy or you can thread the seatbelt through a loop attached to the harness. Pet shops stock a few different variations.
ReplyDeleteRe the law and dogs in cars, I have a feeling that you're meant to have them restrained in some way or other - be it behind a cage in the boot or strapped in.
From the highway code: 57
ReplyDeleteWhen in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars.
I am writing something for my own blog about this, but in my opinion there is no 100% safe way for a dog to travel in a car, all we can do is minimise the risks. I don't like car harnesses because in my experience they still allow the dog to move about too much and I've had to stop the car to put a dog back onto the seat.
Crates are my prefered choice, but the fold away ones won't contain a 'flying dog' (probably nor will a dog guard) and if they're not fixed to the vehicle they could be thrown around anyway.
Depending on what car you have, you do need to choose a harness, crate or dog guard and use it when you are driving - and make sure your driving is up to scratch. Prevention is better than cure - taking an advanced driving course will lower the chances of an accident.
I would suggest a dog guard and a tailgate guard, which combined form an in-built crate. The tailgate guard is fixed in position with screws just behind the hatchback and has a door in it.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing about having your dog in the back of the car is that it keeps the back seat clean for your friends/family and the dog is contained safely - no danger of it hurtling forward if you have to brake suddenly.
You just need a fleece or something for it to lie on and a water-bowl (non-slip or screw-on type).
The dog has a bit more space than in a conventional crate and you can put a padlock on the tailgate guard door if you have to leave it for any length of time in the car.
You don't have to have a big car, either. I have got a Honda Jazz and could fit two medium-sized dogs in the back, if necessary.
My old dog loved it and always settled down immediately. My new puppy seems quite happy too.
I've partitioned off a small space at one side for my boots and other things. I did this with one of those stretchy ropes that climbers and walkers use - the ones with hooks or dog-lead clips at each end. You just hook about two of them at different heights into the wire mesh of the dog guard and the tailgate guard and it stops things falling on to the dog when you turn a corner.
My guards were from a wonderfully helpful small firm called Barjo. They make the guards to fit all kinds of cars. Have a look at their website.
Julia Lewis
I prefer my dogs to travel with harness on atached to a seatbelt, I have been hit twice in the past and my dogs were fine. In a crate or the back of my car, my dogs would have been thrown around.
ReplyDeleteI would always go for a dog guard and tailgate but thats because I need to be able to leave the dog in the car sometimes.
ReplyDelete