06/06/2026
🚗🐾 Do your pets travel in the car with you? Are they travelling safely and legally too?
👮🏻♀️Legal Requirements
Under Rule 57 of the Highway Code, dogs and other animals should be suitably restrained in cars and vans to protect pets and passengers.
Why Restrain Pets?
🐾 Pet & Passenger Safety
• Harnesses with pet seatbelts, carriers, and crates help prevent serious injuries if you are in an accident or have to brake suddenly.
• In a crash at 30mph, a 20kg dog can exert forces equivalent to hundreds of kilos, causing serious injuries to both the dog and humans.
🚘 Prevent Distractions
• A loose pet can distract the driver from the road and cause an accident or even get in the way of the steering wheel or foot pedal.
👮🏻♀️The Law
• If your pet causes a distraction because you haven’t suitably restrained your pet in the vehicle, you could be considered to be driving without due care and attention. If an accident is caused because of it this could be classed as dangerous driving.
💷Insurance
• Some policies require pets to be restrained.
• Unsecured pets could affect claims.
Travel Tips
✅ Before You Travel
• Use pet seatbelt harnesses, crates, carriers or boot guards (be aware that boot guards protect passengers in an accident but not your pets)
• Unlike human safety devices, there is no legal requirement for these products to be crash tested, there are some that have been so do some research.
• NEVER LET PETS TRAVEL LOOSE!
🚗 For Longer Journeys
• Provide water regularly 💧
• Take breaks 🚶
• Keep vehicles cool and ventilated 🌡️
• Never leave pets unattended in vehicles 🚫
Safe journeys start with safe habits for every family member, including the four-legged ones 🐶🐱🐰
