Dog travelling in motorhome.

[Reebs]

I believe it is illegal to allow a dog to travel in a vehicle without it having some sort of restraint? We have just got an 11 month old puppy. Obviously we want to take him with us in the motorhome, which is a Bailey Alliance. It only has seat belts for the driver & passenger. I'd prefer not to have cage as it would restrict access for us. Any ideas as to where we could attach a harness in the moho?
Thank you & a Merry Christmas to you all.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Could you use one of those 2 into 1 seatbelt adapters with suitable harness and tether (may depend on dog)?

 

[gus-lopez]

You can also get additional seat belt anchorage points that you can fix using one of the existing seat belt anchor points.

Like this

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005...16b57cb453cae1fbfa3ddda950c&afSmartRedirect=n


Or pop in local scrapyard for one.
most pet shops will sell the clip in part

 

[bigwood]

I fitted a bolt on D ring to the front seat base and bought one of the tether straps with a clip and fitting to use with a normal seat belt.
Muttly wedges himself between the front seats on his bean bag wearing his normal walking harness. We then clip the tether to his harness. It just gives him room to stand up and shuffle about a little.
When he travels in management’s Fiesta he is fastened to one of the rear seat belt bases in the back.
I know of someone that traveled with a young puppy in a cage but it was in a larger motorhome.

 

[pappajohn]

You don't have to tether to seatbelts
A suitable harness attached to anything immovable out of drivers reach is sufficient.

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[garry55]

We tether our 2 dog's adjustable harnesses to the passenger side folding armrest.

 

[Phill D]

If you go on Amazon and look for dog in car clips, you will see a huge amount of different types of secure clips for dogs.

 

[TerryL]

Our Westie refuses to travel unless he's in hs cage. However it is collapsable and when not required sits in the drivers footwell out of the way. Most good pet stores have them. It does depend, however, on where it will sit whilst in use, ours fits happily just behind the cab seats.

 

[Rickd]

We fasten ours to the table leg via a harness and lead that allows her to lay between the driver and passenger seat but not able to interfere with the drivers feet

 

[PaulyP]

You don't have to tether to seatbelts
A suitable harness attached to anything immovable out of drivers reach is sufficient.

In my car I have normal leads (as opposed to extendable) around the rear seat headrests, my two are attached with their harnesses on.

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[gpat]

Has anyone ever been fined for an unrestrained dog?

 

[Jays2]

Don’t and won’t restrain ours they settle very well in the front between the seats in their beds .

 

[Oldrat]

I can’t recall a prosecution.

A pet might be well behaved on a journey, but no-one knows how they’ll react in an accident.


Some accidents are quick like a shunt from behind at traffic lights where as others, a shunt on the motorway from a foreign HGV can go on for an age, hundreds of yards if the driver is unaware. Imagine the mayhem from poor little frightened Rover legging it out of a broken window and running around the carriageway

Off the top of my head- The offence is using a motor vehicle in a dangerous position condition or circumstances likely to cause danger

It’s a ‘catch all’ offence for any dangerous circumstances

- provided the police have enough evidence to persuade the court that danger was likely to be caused.

Anything from say, a large delivery lorry having an unrestrained container door blowing into the path of traffic
To having rusty jagged edges around headlamps turning what might be a minor bump with a pedestrian into a life changing injury.

Etc etc

 

[Landy Andy]

My dog in my car, or motorhome is not restrained and able to be where he wants. He is trained, so not a problem, to me driving.

 

[Silver-Fox]

I believe it is illegal to allow a dog to travel in a vehicle without it having some sort of restraint?

That is not the case.

If you had a collision and it was found the dog contributed to the collision you might be prosecuted.

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[Ray-Vic]

What is the UK law on having your dog in the car?​

Your dog must be suitably restrained​

While the laws around having your dog in the car have changed over time, Rule 57 of the Highway Code currently states that dogs must be suitably restrained while inside the vehicle. This is to ensure the dog doesn’t distract the driver and is less likely to cause injury to themselves or others if the car stops quickly.

Your dog can't travel in the passenger seat​

The Highway Code also states that your dog can’t travel in the passenger seat as this is also more likely to cause driver distraction. It can be particularly dangerous if the car has a passenger airbag.


Source: Various, this is from Halfords

Naturally this is only quoting the Highway Code which as a stand-alone document in its entirety is not law, but I think it is used as guidance in many legal cases.
We have our miniature Dachshund travel in his car bed, which has a built in short tether, on the floor between our seats and he's really relaxed there, mostly sleeping.

 

[Landy Andy]

“If” “might” is said a lot above. But law doesn’t require you to restrain your pet.

 

[Ray-Vic]

“If” “might” is said a lot above. But law doesn’t require you to restrain your pet.

That's correct. My understanding is that only the rules which state MUST are ones which are a legal requirement. Rule 57 does not say that a restraint MUST be used, neither does it specify a seatbelt as the only form of restraint, it gives it as one of a few options.

 

[Oldrat]

SEE POST 13

 

[Ray-Vic]

I SAW POST 13

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[Oldrat]

Sorry, cross posting was aimed at Landy Andy.


THANKYOU


Edit Legislation is sect 22 RTA1988 as amended
Link

 

[Northernraider]

None of my dogs are restrained , they're happy to lie in their beds and don't move around the camper while it's moving, as soon as I put handbrake off they all go to their place of habit when driving . Ela in the passenger footwell, jade on the passenger seat, milo in his bed behind the front seats and blu lying on the sofa behind my seat. As soon as I stop and handbrake goes on they get up and go in the back . Always done the same in all of my campers.

 

[Oldrat]

It’s great to have well trained and obedient dogs.

My concern is for the times when something beyond your control occurs, like an accident.

Dogs, like people, panic and they also do odd things.

Other cops on here will know how often a motorway or major road has to be stopped because of a frightened pooch on the loose after an accident. I’ve done it several times. It’s not infrequent, but it’s far more dangerous before that point as fast cars try to avoid said woofer, and usually the poor bewildered beast won’t come to a stranger, sometimes requiring netting or a loop to catch them.

I’d advise, secure your beloved mutt, for their safety if not for others.

 

[BooBooKing]

The thing is, unrestrained dogs are a missile if you are in an accident. Unless you have been in an accident and seen how things move, very quickly, around the vehicle, you don't take this seriously. Had my dog been travelling with us in the car when we had an accident, she would definitely have been killed. I don't take chances now, ever.

 

[Northernraider]

The thing is, unrestrained dogs are a missile if you are in an accident. Unless you have been in an accident and seen how things move, very quickly, around the vehicle, you don't take this seriously. Had my dog been travelling with us in the car when we had an accident, she would definitely have been killed. I don't take chances now, ever.

There are far more heavier dangerous things in my motorhome that would become a missile in the event of an accident . Having seen the aftermath of motorhome and caravan crashes there's often not much left of them.

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[Oldrat]

There are far more heavier dangerous things in my motorhome that would become a missile in the event of an accident .

Not the best defence in court.

Why not try to reduce the harms and make your pooch safer?

 

[Northernraider]

Not the best defence in court.

Why not try to reduce the harms and make your pooch safer?

Because I'd have to sell my camper and buy a minibus. The dogs are perfectly safe . No airbags and 3 of them couldn't go anywhere in the event of an accident unless the camper rolled over. The other would end up on the floor. They're happy and safe as they are.

 

[varaizian]

How big is your pup likely to become? We have our 29kg lump attached to one of the rear seatbelt attachment sockets with a lead that allows her to reach the front seats but not get under my feet. If you don't have a spare seat belt socket find something solid to fix an anchorage to. Ours wears a harness that ensures that any violent shock will not break her neck. I don't know if it is is illegal or otherwise where I travel but it sure as hell is sensible. I do know that some dogs really don't like to be restrained in any way but that does not alter my view. Physics cannot be ignored. A heavy dog does need to be restrained for it's own safety and for your secondary security.

 

[Speve]

Has anyone ever been fined for an unrestrained dog?

I haven’t but a friend of ours got stopped in Spain for having their yorkie on her lap unrestrained and got from memory a€40 fine

 

[Linda B]

My dog in my car, or motorhome is not restrained and able to be where he wants. He is trained, so not a problem, to me driving.

What if you have an accident and he is thrown out of front windscreen or hits you in the head with force. They become a missile in those cases. I also fear if we are unable to get out in case of accident and someone opens our door then our dog would run scared down the motorway if not tethered.