Dog owners in the UK could end up with a fine of £5,000 for not following a lesser-known Highway Code rule. Owners of four-legged friends could be unknowingly breaking the law even on a quick trip to the shops or heading to the countryside for walkies.
These days beloved dogs travel pretty much everywhere with their owners, sometimes accompanying humans to a holiday home destination – which could mean a long journey. But a family day out with a pet dog could turn out to be costly if official guidance for road users isn’t followed.
The Highway Code rule 57 states that dogs (and other pets) must be suitably restrained in a vehicle at all times, but many furry friend owners are unaware of this. The rule stipulates that dogs must be restrained using a harness, pet carrier, dog cage or guard – and it could save owners from “heartache”, Halfords said.
Drivers could face a £5,000 fine for careless driving if they cause an accident because of a dog distracting them. The Highway Code rule 57 states that restraining dogs prevents driver distraction – as well as protecting dogs from causing injury to either themselves or the motorist.
Car marketplace, Auto Trader, set out to discover how many Brits were aware of the rules about travelling with pets. The survey results showed that 34% of British driver dog owners knew nothing about the relevant Highway Code rules – and nearly 25% said that they don’t restrain their dogs when travelling.
The Highway Code 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.”
And dogs are permitted to ride in the front seat beside owner drivers, however the Highway Code rule means they must be “suitably restrained” with a seat belt harness. If dogs are travelling in the front seat, the passenger-side airbag should be disabled – to prevent any injury and moving the seat back is suggested.
The dangers of unsecured pets in vehicles includes dogs jumping onto the dashboard and causing distraction, pushing car controls such as the indicators while the vehicle is moving and climbing over the owner while they are driving.
Drivers could be slapped with an on-the-spot fine of up to £5,000 – and could get up to nine points on their license or even end up with a full driving ban.
ChooseMyCar.com reported on the subject last year – with founder, Nick Zapolski highlighting that many drivers are unaware of Rule 57 and could be at risk of losing their driving licence.
On the ChooseMyCar website he commented: “It always raises a smile when you see a happy dog with its head hanging out the window, ears flopping in the wind, but it’s an obvious way to demonstrate that you aren’t following Rule 57 – and that could cost you your licence.
“And it’s not just that – in the event of an accident, an unrestrained dog could do serious damage to itself and the people in the car. It’s cheap and simple to get a seatbelt for your dog or a dog guard for the boot – and can save a lot of heartache.”