The Highway Code - Rule 57 States
"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, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars."
What does this rule actually mean, and why is it a rule?
The rule is in place to stop 'animals' freely roaming around the vehicle, distracting the driver, or hurting themselves by slipping off the seat or in times of emergency braking.
Equally the level of restraint needs to be suitable to the dog or pet, putting a Miniature Poodle in the back of a Volvo V90 estate, restrained only by a rear seat dog guard is only going to generate something similar to the prize ball in a pinball machine, if anything untoward was to happen.
The less the animal can comfortably move around, in the event of anything happening the safer it'll be. Pets held in travel crates do need the crates restraining too, either to luggage tie-downs in the boot space or by seat belts if stowed on the rear seats. (If the front seat is your only free space, disable the airbag when placing anything other than a fully grown human on that seat.)
Dog Harnesses
These come in all shapes and sizes, to fit pretty much any dog. The harness wraps around the body of the dog, in a similar concept to child rains or what you see on sledge dogs. Some can plug into the seat belt clasp, others used the belt to pass through a loop, using the seat belts inertia system to stop any movement, under heavy braking. Harnesses allow the dog to move to get comfy, without allowing too much movement.
Dog Crate or Boot Guard?
Dog Crate
These range in size and shape, from something reminiscent of a square mesh box with a door to a more tailored solution giving space for pets on one side and boot space on the other, similar to those used by the K9 handlers in the police.
The crates work, when the dog is crate trained. Although the crate still needs to be tethered down. One to stop it sliding about whilst cornering or braking, and two to secure in the event of anything happening. The right sized crate matched to the dog will stop your buddy from being violently thrown around.
Boot Guard
A correctly fitted boot or dog guards are lifesavers, not just for pet owners but in general.
The guard stops anything travelling from the boot space to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Whilst it ultimately stops Rover from jumping over the rear seats and causing mayhem, they also stop or slow down anything of sizeable weight hitting the back of your head or passenger's heads if anything should happen.
Some dogs are too big for crates, or the size of the crate won't fit in your boot. So, the boot space is the 'crate', combine a boot guard with a dog harness and your pet is perfectly restrained.
One thing to note, don't restrain the dog with its lead and collar around its neck to a seat belt or luggage tie-down. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's going to happen if you brake heavily or have a crash.
Multiple companies make seat and boot liners to stop any mess or muddy footprints damaging the interior. If you're on a long trip try not to feed your prize pooch less than two hours before you set off, as it might take a Shih Tzu on your back seat, and always keep a bowl and plenty of water on hand no matter the length of the trip - cars get warm no matter the weather and dogs don't sweat to cool down like humans.
We have a vast range of estates, SUVs and for the biggest of dogs or pet pigs MPV's available with a large number of lease cars in stock and ready for quick delivery.
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