Driving with your pet in the car could get you a £5,000 fine

Motorists are also at risk of invalidating their car insurance

Sarah Young
Monday 06 November 2017 10:17 GMT
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Drivers are being warned that they could face fines of up to £5,000 if they drive with their pet in the car.

New research from uSwitch.com has revealed that 69 per cent of drivers say they travel with their pet in the car with them.

A fifth of whom said they were unaware of the law around driving with animals, admitting to not securing their pet with a safety restraint.

Failure to do so violates rule 57 of the Highway Code which reads, “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.”

As such, motorists could receive a £100 on-the-spot fine if they are seen to be distracted while failure to pay could result in a court case and a maximum fine of £5,000.

What’s more, most insurance policies will not cover a motorist who is found driving with a pet if it is unrestrained, meaning pay-outs can be withheld if there is an accident.

“Three quarters of dog owners travel with their canine companions and around half of cat owners bring kitty along for the ride from time to time,” Stephanie Corbett, head of pet at Comparethemarket.com told The Sun.

“If you’re planning on taking your furry pals on the road, make sure you obey the laws of the road.

“It’s highly unlikely that your pet would be covered by your car insurance, so you’ll need to make sure that your pet’s own insurance is up-to-scratch.”

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