Safe car travel for you and your pet

Jun 12, 2024

Bank holidays, half terms and the summer holidays often involve travel whether for a holiday, a trip to the beach or to a visit to friends and family. This year in particular many people are planning staycations.

As humans we all know we need to wear our seatbelts in the car and that moving around and distracting the driver can have devastating results – but what about your pet?

Unless your pet is safely secured for a journey in the car, they can pose a risk to you and themselves. Here’s how to ensure your pets are safe and comfortable whether it’s a short trip to the vets or a longer road trip. Failure to safely secure your pet, could also mean you are breaking the law.

Even at just 30mph it has been calculated that an unrestrained Border Collie dog would be propelled forward in a collision, with a force equivalent to the weight of a polar bear.

Your safety: An unrestrained pet could seriously hurt you or your passengers in the event of an accident.

Pet safety: Therefore a pet seatbelt or carrier can help protect your pet from serious injury if you’re involved in a collision.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 means owners are responsible for the welfare of their animals, and this includes whilst they are in a car or another vehicle.

Preventing accidents: An unrestrained pet can get in the way of the steering wheel or the foot pedals in a car. They could distract the driver from the road and cause an accident.

Failure to properly restrain your pet may also invalidate your car insurance. Breaking the terms of your insurance could leave you with a huge bill to pay if an accident occurs. Your pet insurance may also be invalidated if they are injured and need treatment.

Always plan your route, ensuring time for stops and factoring in contingency plans for delays.

Carefully consider the size and temperament of your pet and how much space they need to be comfortable when travelling.

Unless you are taking your pets a short distance to your Vet, you should ideally avoid travelling with your pet if they are:

If you need to travel with your pet, they should be allowed to get completely comfortable with their environment. Allow them to sniff around in the car before your journey and find a comfortable place to sit. Put their favourite blanket or toy where you would like them to travel. If they are traveling in a travel crate, leave it accessible for them to get used to prior to putting it in the car. Encourage them to go in and out, put some of their favourite things inside and ensure it is not in any way intimidating for them.

All cars should be equipped with a first aid kit. A human first aid kit is likely to contain articles that you can use to stop bleeding or administer first aid to your pet. Ideally you should have a pet specific first aid kit including specific pet chew-resistant bandages, a foil blanket to keep them warm and insulate them from the ground, gauze pads, saline and an absorbent mat to sit your injured pet on.

Before setting off, encourage your pet to go to the toilet and have a quick run around the garden, go for a short walk or have some form of exercise.

To avoid the risk of travel sickness, arrange for your pet to eat a couple of hours before travelling. Some animals can become more travel sick if they can see out of a window, so restricting their view might be a good option. If your pet suffers regularly from travel sickness, your vet might be able to prescribe anti-sickness medication.

Many products on the market haven’t been crash tested. Therefore, if you want offer your pet the best protection, you might prefer one that has been properly crash-tested in controlled tests. Try the Centre for Pet Safety for certified tested products. Click here: https://www.centerforpetsafety.org

A pet carrier of an appropriate size for your pet offers the best protection for your pet and will reduce their chances of distracting you on your journey. They can also practice sleeping in the crate at home and quickly become comfortable and settled within it. Put their favourite blankets and toys inside and position it somewhere they like to be, leave it with the door open so they can wander in and out and become familiar and happy within it.

Secure the carrier safely within the car in case you turn a corner sharply or have to brake suddenly.

For larger animals such as big dogs, a carrier might not be appropriate. Instead you should consider a restraining harness, which can be attached to the car seatbelts to keep your dog safe.