Dogs travelling in motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[AlunandFelicie]

Mine drives, easiest solution we found. He has a great view and likes the aircon

As does Ted ,great for when I’ve had a couple of beers

 

[David BW]

As does Ted ,great for when I’ve had a couple of beers
View attachment 920520

Ours has a more relaxed driving style!

 

[Gina M]

Reading another thread a member was asked what he did with his dogs when travelling and he replied '' I don't do anything with them they just amuse themselves ''. Rule 57 of 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''. Does anyone comply with this legislation ?

My two have short leads which clip into the seat belt. In the van they have them looped through our seat belts and two large floor cushions against the dash to protect them from braking etc. In seventeen years never had an accident with any of them or injuries.

 

[simbadog]

I've taught mine to drive, I let him get on with it & go & have a lie down!

 

[Bognor Saint]

We used to put ours in his canvas cage then securely placed against the back of the passenger seat under the table

We do exactly the same.

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[ceejayt]

Ours won’t drive. They insist on playing monopoly so they don’t get bored

 

[Nanniemate]

I've taught mine to drive, I let him get on with it & go & have a lie down!

I hope you have a seat belt on

 

[David BW]

David BW it appears to me that its

an opinion by both the dogs trust and an insurance broker, no actual evidence of refusal to pay a claim specifically because a dog was not secured in a vehicle.

If an insurance company took the stance of “ if you break the law they will not payout” then there would be a lot of claims rejected every time there was an accident.

I understand and comply with ensuring our dog is safe while travelling. But I can see no evidence of non payment of a claim directly related to an unsecured dog in a vehicle.

Several insurance brokers - see comparethemarket.com & Money Supermarket. I don’t know for sure if it’s ever been tested but I have no intention of putting it to the test!

 

[gus-lopez]

Why would your insurance company be interested? You'd only be claiming off the other party if it was not your fault.

View attachment 920407

For guidance only.

 

[Jev88]

Cats are always in a large fold flat carrier that is then anchored to floor D ring.

Unless bumbling on to site in a queue or fetching water and doing no more than 5 mph. They don't actually like being loose whilst we are in motion, I guess they are used to "into box, time to move"...

Everything unsecured becomes a missile in a crash....

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[stuartholmes]

Rules about animals - Other animals (56 to 58)

Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk

I wish people would follow Highway Code rule 56 round city streets & my local park.
Failing which I'd like to see the return of the dog catcher...

 

[stuartholmes]

Ours travels on the bed at the rear but is securely tethered and can’t get off the bed.

A word of caution to all those who choose to ignore the law and let theirs roam, I have read of vehicle insurers failing to pay out in the event of an accident when the animal hadn’t been secured.

A wise warning!!

It doesn't matter how settled & safe & unable to cause a distraction we might think the animals are, once a collision has occurred if they're not securely restrained it's not going to be easy to prove they didn't do something become the cause of it.

 

[stuartholmes]

Ours has a more relaxed driving style!



View attachment 920522

Obviously got a Comfortmatic...

 

[David BW]

Why would your insurance company be interested? You'd only be claiming off the other party if it was not your fault.

For guidance only.

There’s always a possibility that the accident could be your own fault, especially if there’s an animal loose in the van!

 

[Bobbejaan]

We have NEVER put any of our dogs into a cage, box, or fixed-harness ever (at home OR on the road), although I do put the cat into a large plastic cat cage to take it to the vets as I find it distracting to have my eyeballs ripped out.

However, we are lucky .... As I used to lock our son into the cat-cage for travelling in the van when he was a baby/small-kid ..... So luckily the cat-cage became spare when we couldn't fit our lad into it any more.

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[stuartholmes]

We have NEVER put any of our dogs into a cage, box, or fixed-harness ever (at home OR on the road), although I do put the cat into a large plastic cat cage to take it to the vets as I find it distracting to have my eyeballs ripped out.

However, we are lucky .... As I used to lock our son into the cat-cage for travelling in the van when he was a baby/small-kid ..... So luckily the cat-cage became spare when we couldn't fit our lad into it any more.

Photos please!!

 

[Bobbejaan]

Photos please!!

Well, the dogs are shown in my Avatar photo .... and Shirley you don't think I'm stoopid enough to paste photos of my son in his cage on a public forum for all the world & the CPS/PF to see, do you ???

 

[Coolcats]

[QUOTE="Langtoftlad, post: 6205341, member: 16024"

I think it's up to the individual to assess their dogs and implement the best for them & their driver.
[/QUOTE]
But it’s not, as you pointed out regarding the Highway Code says it’s not up to the individual and each country will have its own and rules are similar across Europe which was pointed out by another poster who was fined for having the dog on their lap…..You wouldnt leave a child unrestrained so why a Dog or cat for that matter

 

[Phill D]

I’m a tiny bit more concerned with the fridge or any of the cupboards in any impact,all of which are lightly screwed to the bodywork and not withstand any real impact.

Overhead locker catches jumping open and the contents flying about, all are more likely to injure both the passengers and the poor dog. More than any dog flying around.

We all assess what we believe is our risk and act accordingly.
That includes your speed, your position on the road etc etc every time we drive.

It was suggested that insurance companies HAVE not only decided but have actually NOT payed out to claimants whose dog was not appropriately secured. In an incident.

After 74 posts there is no evidence to support that claim, which was the whole point of starting this thread.

 

[stuartholmes]

Well, the dogs are shown in my Avatar photo .... and Shirley you don't think I'm stoopid enough to paste photos of my son in his cage on a public forum for all the world & the CPS/PF to see, do you ???

Legitimate. Disappointing but legitimate.

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[Langtoftlad]

You wouldnt leave a child unrestrained so why a Dog or cat for that matter

Wouldn't I ?

Real world vs slavishly following every letter of the law sorry advice .
Speeding is actually illegal & yet drivers do it.
The majority of us are grown ups who can make sensible decisions & choices with regards their pets & their vans.

 

[Phill D]

the Highway Code says it’s not up to the individual

That is so correct of many many things that affect us all while we go about our pastime, but I do not believe for one mili second that we all comply with the Highway Code all the time we are using the roads and highways.
Yet this is singled out for many people s wrath.

 

[Coolcats]

Wouldn't I ?

Real world vs slavishly following every letter of the law sorry advice .
Speeding is actually illegal & yet drivers do it.
The majority of us are grown ups who can make sensible decisions & choices with regards their pets & their vans.

I assume a sensible choice is looking after the welfare of the Dog, cat, Horse, Hamster, goldfish or any other animal traveling with you in this real world which has laws to help keep us all safe. But as you say you choose what you wish to do..

 

[AG 2602]

Mines still learning but he’s only six months old!!

 

[Tonks]

The chance of your pet being injured in an accident is greater than the risk of the fact that they're secured slowing down removing them if they're in danger. The chance of them injuring you in a serious accident is MUCH higher than any drawback from securing them.

One of the 'rescue' programmes had a sad episode where a couple travelling with five dogs had three of them die in an accident where their car left the motorway and went down an embankment.

From personal experience, just last week Mum was visiting friends in Cornwall. They were travelling along one of the local narrow roads when they rounded a bend and met a lorry which was over their side of the road and they had to do an emergency stop. Rosie (leggy lurcher) was secured on the back seat with harness and clip. Everyone was a bit shaken up but got on with the journey feeling relieved to be unscathed. When they arrived at their destination and Mum took Rosie out of the back, she discovered blood running down Rosie's leg. Inspection showed a clump of her fur on one of the metal bits of the front seat. She had quite a deep cut, but luckily no serious damage. It's healed up nicely and is currently scabbed over. But it shows that even if secured, it's certainly worth considering what your dog or cat may impact in your MH in the event of an issue. In this case it wasn't even an accident, just very hard braking. In Mum's own vehicle there's no way Rosie could be injured by hitting something sharp during harsh braking, but it shows that animals (especially those with long limbs!) can move more than you'd think when they're secured. In our case, it wouldn't be right to tighten Rosie's seat belt clip any more as she wouldn't be able to move or turn round. But something soft was put in the footwell for the return journey. Just in case.

Also, I would NEVER leave my dog in the car on the hard shoulder. I know the Highways people don't like you taking a dog out, but there are just far too many cars hit when stationary and I'd never risk my dog in that situation.

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[Landy Andy]

All depends on the dog and its training. My dog will be in his bed, under a table, behind the passenger seat for the journey. He could possibly go 200-300mm forward in an accident to one of the most secure structures in the vehicle, the passenger seat. There is no point making him more uncomfortable by attaching him to something, and he can’t hit us, as he is on the floor, and behind a structure.
Far safer than on a lead, or in a cage on a raised platform such as a seat.

 

[ceejayt]

Mines still learning but he’s only six months old!!



View attachment 921720

Only 6 months but can already operate the satnav - impressive!

 

[Minxy]

I am constantly amazed by those who use restraints for their dogs and then condemn others who do not. Why? Many of those who use restraints do not do so correctly as is clearly indicated above in #85 where poor Rosie was injured despite being restrained.

Rosie was on the seat but the restraint did not keep her secure as it wasn't tight enough to prevent forward movement in order to allow her to turn round etc which was deemed more important. In a more forceful 'stop' the restraint could have actually caused more damage to her than none at all if she shot forward and the restraint then suddenly 'twanged' and stopped her.

If you are going to use restraints then keep them very short and put your dogs on the floor behind a solid barrier such as a cab seat, centre console, etc so that there isn't a massive distance that they can travel in a sudden stop, the further they can travel the more likely an injury.

Allowing them to travel on rear seats especially with tables in front of them is asking for trouble even with cushions in front as there's no way a cushion would prevent serious injury to a dog slamming in/onto it. If you think it will then sit where the dog does and bash your head as hard as you can on to the cushion on top of the table ... I bet you won't though as you know its a stupid thing to do! Being on any raised platform is a bad idea as even without a table in place the dog can then be thrown off a 'cliff'.

I await the incoming

 

[pxh38257]

Our 60kg dog is strapped in with a harness which is then connected to the seat belt anchor with an adjustable strap. A lot of people on here seem to forget that if their pet is free to roam and you have an accident or have to brake suddenly your pet could fly into the back of your chair, dashboard or even hit you. Either way it’s going to be injured and if it hits you it’s going to hurt. If we could fit a cage in behind the front seats we would as its probably the safest way for her to travel.

 

[Phill D]

Our 60kg dog is strapped in with a harness which is then connected to the seat belt anchor with an adjustable strap. A lot of people on here seem to forget that if their pet is free to roam and you have an accident or have to brake suddenly your pet could fly into the back of your chair, dashboard or even hit you. Either way it’s going to be injured and if it hits you it’s going to hurt. If we could fit a cage in behind the front seats we would as its probably the safest way for her to travel.

A lot of people on here do not forget as you suggest! They simply choose to do things differently to you, why people have to preach to them about that I really don’t understand.

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