Dog In The Boot Of Car

[Mike25]

I always take my dog on holidays in the boot of my estate car. He is big but just lies down for the 2 hour journey. Now I'm wondering is this legal?? Can it be used against in the event of an accident?

[woofgang]

Its dangerous because even though he behaves when nothing happens, what if he should panic because eg he got stung. You can get a cage that will fit in the back of your car and keep him safely where he should be. The made for car ones will also absorb some of the shock should you get rear ended and help to keep your dog safe. Also Highway Code, rule 57 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-about-animals-47-to-58

[Vagus]

I could be wrong but I believe it’s against the law to have a dog loose in the car, they should be restrained somehow. Our dog has his harness with a short strap which clips on to it, the other end clips into the seatbelt thing.

[Vagus]

Oops. When he’s in the boot it’s the same except there’s a thing in the boot which it clips to.

[Vagus]

£5,000 fine and invalidated insurance for having an unrestrained dog in your car.

[hc4361]

Only if the unrestrained dog caused the driver to be distracted or interfered in his driving in any way, such as getting in to the footwell, Vagus.

[Mike25]

How do I restrain him in the boot? He has no where else to go. A cage would be uncomfortable for 2hrs

[woofgang]

the cage is the same size, give or take an inch or two, as the boot! If the cage would be too small, the boot is too small.

[Mike25]

Would this do?
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8365785?gclsrc=aw.ds&;&cmpid=GS001&;_$ja=tsid:59156|acid:444-797-0832|cid:598623051|agid:29904243445|tid:aud-641224040377:pla-673742743872|crid:100241664085|nw:g|rnd:9917267816577078658|dvc:m|adp:1o4|mt:|loc:9045191&gclid=CjwKCAjw3c_tBRA4EiwAICs8CjClcOIMT98u_Bt6_Z277b_t0e0tWzxA0DpMt4s6LCCYZPUDh4B9CRoChlwQAvD_BwE

[hc4361]

Put a couple of blankets in to the bottom of the cage and he'll be fine.

Your boot should have fixtures that a dog harness could be attached to. Otherwise a dog guard would prevent him being catapulted in to the car body if there were an accident. A dog guard is considered to be restraint enough to prevent him interfering with the driver.

[TonyV]

My neighbour regularly carries 2 South African ridgebacks in the back of his van, but cab and carry space have a mesh screen dividing the two compartments so dogs cannot get to front of van.

[woofgang]

well people do use them but I never have since our first dog pulled it down on top of himself and panicked He soiled himself and the car and it took us quite a while to get him happy with car journeys again. Additionally those jam fit bars will badly mark your car interior if you fit them tightly enough. This is the kind of thing I have got...yes it costs more but how much do you value your dog....they are often for sale secondhand, or even free on sites like freecycle or gumtree. https://www.barjo.co.uk

[hc4361]

That's absolutely fine and legal, TonyV

[Vagus]

Quite so, hc.
Personally I think it best for the dog to be closely restrained, as much for its own safety as for the distraction it may cause the driver. If the dog is rattling around in a cage then it’s at risk of being hurt if the driver has to make an emergency stop, the dog could get flung around.
Having said that, better in a cage or crate than loose in the car.

[pixie374]

In law, once a dog is in a car, it becomes "a load" and is treated the same as any other. There are no laws to protect the dog, just to protect humans from being harmed by them, so legally, that is what you need to make safe.

[hc4361]

Agreed, Vagus. I do know of an instance where a dog went through the windscreen during an accident. Nobody wants that :(

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Always understood that dogs had to be restrained in case of accidents where they might get free and run out amongst traffic making the situation even worse, or even panic an try to attack a possible rescuer.

[New Judge]

//£5,000 fine and invalidated insurance for having an unrestrained dog in your car.//

Please point me to the legislation that says, specifically, that you can be fined for having an unrestrained dog in a car. More than that, please explain why you believe a fine of £5,000 would be imposed.

I'll point you to the legislation that says it does not (indeed cannot) invalidate your Third Party insurance:

Road Traffic Act 1988, S148(2)(d):

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/148

[Rockrose]

I have a rav4 and both dogs are in the boot with a guard that attaches to the headrest.
That is totally legal.

[Vagus]

I believe hc put me right, m’lud, and I agreed with him.
I should perhaps have put ‘could be subjected to a £5000 fine, and invalidated insurance’, if the unrestrained dog causes an accident.
I speak as an ordinary, responsible dog owner, not an esteemed judge or legal eagle so I bow to your obviously superior knowledge of these things.

[Arrods]

Here we go again NJ. Yes, you can't be fined for having no insurance in those circumstances (i.e. your insurance is not invalid) - but you can suffer the consequences of an insurer chasing you for the money they've paid out due to the 'insured's' negligence. I would have thought the latter was more to be concerned about than the latter.