How to Travel Safely with Your Dog in Your Car

Travelling with your pet in the car is covered in Rule 57 of the highway code, which states that all animals travelling in a vehicle need to be restrained. This is so they can’t distract you or cause injuries if you have to perform an emergency stop. You may think having your pooch on the passenger seat next to you isn’t distracting if they sit quietly, but by law, they need to be properly secured.

Beyond some basic suggestions of what can be used to secure your pet, the law isn’t very specific, and you have to do a bit of reading between the lines to figure out what is and is and isn’t acceptable.

Many owners travel with their furry family members in the boot of the car, which means they’re less likely to distract them while they’re driving. However, it can be easy to forget that they should still be suitably secured there too.

 At the very least, a boot guard should be secured to separate the boot from the rest of the car. Something like the Streetwize Deluxe Dog Guard can make all the difference as far as the law is concerned, not to mention the safety of your pup too if you get into an accident.

 If you have an accident and you are found not to have followed dog car travel law, you can be fined up to £5,000 and your insurance would be invalidated, so you would also be liable to pay for damages yourself. This would be the best-case scenario, assuming that your beloved pet isn’t injured as well.

Last year, Skoda UK conducted some research on how the British public travel with their pets, and found that 44% of people are unaware of the laws surrounding car travel with their dog. In fact, 9% of people even admitted to having never secured their pup in the car while and just travel with them loose on the seat.     

The highway code lists things like pet carriers, crates, dog guards and seat belt harnesses as acceptable ways of securing your pup during car journeys. The option for you will depend on your personal experiences and your pet’s preferences.

If your pooch has no prior crate training, then expecting them to be happily confined to one in a car might be a bit much. Similarly, belting them in with a harness might cause some panic if they’re not used to wearing a harness at all.

It’s all about finding the most suitable method for you and your beloved pet, while making sure they are safe and secure while travelling.

If your pooch already loves to nap in their crate, travelling in the in one could be a comforting and relaxing experience for them. If you buy a crate for the car and your pup isn’t used to being confined to one, you will have a little more work to do before you take any journeys with them. Making sure your furry family member is crate trained and happy to be shut inside is vital to making sure their journey is as stress-free as possible.

Crates are useful as it means you don’t have to tether your dog to anything, and they can have free roam of their little space while you drive. They can also be handy if your pup doesn’t like to see moving traffic, as you can use a blanket to cover them up and keep them nice and calm.

A crate should be big enough for your pup to stand up in, stretch and turn around without hitting any of the sides. However, they shouldn’t be so big that if you do have a bump or have to stop quickly, there isn’t too much room for them to fall over and hurt themselves.

The downside to using a crate largely boils down to how much room they can take up. You have to have a pretty large car to be able to slot one into the boot, and if you have a large or giant breed dog, you might even struggle to find one that’s big enough.

Getting a dog bed for your pooch to travel in can make their journey a much more pleasant one, especially if you use one they already enjoy curling up in. Additionally, they’ll be more inclined to lie down for the ride instead of standing or trying to explore and distract you!

In some cases, bringing a dog bed may not be entirely suitable. For example. a Great Dane would require a large bed, which might not fit on the back seat, but if you have a big enough car, it might slot into the boot if you’re lucky.

Even if your pup settles well in their bed and doesn’t move around as you drive, by law, they still need to be secured to keep you both safe. You can clip their harness onto a Universal Seatbelt Restraint. Ideally, you should always use a harness to attach any restraint in the car. While attaching it to a collar does technically abide by the law,  if you  have to stop suddenly, you can damage your dog’s neck if they jolt too hard.

Travelling with your pooch in the boot can be a great way to give them plenty of space to stretch out while making sure they don’t distract you. It works well for medium to large breeds of dog where you can keep an eye on them and make sure they’re relaxed in the rear-view mirror.

For pocket-sized puppies, it may be a little too stressful, as you won’t be able to see them over the seats. While distance is good for you as a driver, if your pet can get worried by travelling or even being apart from you, it might be a little too far away for comfort and the back seat might be more appropriate so they can still see you at all times.

While in the boot, pets still need to be secured, so you will need a boot guard or crate to stop them from climbing over the back seats. You might want to invest in a boot liner like the Boot Mate to keep hair, dirt and muddy pawprints from marking the lining of your boot.

While there is no law to stop you from driving with your dog in the passenger seat, the law states that your pet cannot be a distraction to you when you’re behind the wheel. This means that they still need to be secured properly and it may not be a suitable mode of travel for a large breed of dog like a Labrador that can easily lean across to you and distract you.

For smaller breeds, travelling in the front seat can be suitable if properly secured. It can be especially helpful if your pup suffers from separation anxiety and they’re better closer to you.

If in the passenger seat, the chair should be positioned as far back as it can go to make sure it’s not too close to the dashboard. You should also turn off your airbags, as they are usually at face height rather than chest height for your pets and could cause injury.

As well as safety measures, if you plan on having other passengers besides your fluffy family member, then you may want to get something like the Pet Rebellion Car Seat Carpet so you can remove it along with any dirt and fur they leave behind on the seat.

If you plan on taking a long car journey with your pet, then planning for plenty of stops is a must. Before you make any long trips, you should first do lots of shorter ones to make sure your pup is comfortable in the car. If they get stressed or car sick, you may need to consider asking a vet if there’s anything you can give them to help with this, but you should not feed them for two to three hours before a long car ride to reduce the risk. Plenty of short and sweet trips in the car with something good like a walk on the other side will teach your pup that the car is a good thing.

Dogs need a chance to get out of the car, go to the toilet and stretch their legs every two to three hours, but this can vary depending on your pet. Services are a great place to pull over as many of them have designated areas for you to walk around with your pooch and water for them to have a drink. Even if you plan to stop at places that provide water, you should still take your own and something like the Crufts 2 in 1 Travel Bowl & Water Bottle means you have everything you need with you to keep them hydrated and happy!

You should never plan to get out of the car with your furry family member around any fast-moving traffic like on the hard shoulder, which is also against the law!

There are so many things to think about when planning a car journey with your pet, even if it’s just a short trip to the local park. You may have the best-behaved pup who relaxes and doesn’t bother you while you’re driving, but you could still invalidate your insurance if you have a bump and they’re found to not be properly secured.

Take a look at our extensive range of products to make sure you have everything you need to make trips in the car safe and comfortable for you and your pooch!