Dogs in Cars

[waggietail]

wanted to know if anyone knew about any new laws to do with dogs in cars.
I had a guy come into work the other day and he asked about the new law that says that all dogs in cars should either be in a cage or restrained in some way not to cause distraction to the drive(not loose in the car).
thanks for any help
Cassie x

[SuzAndTheDiva]

I say they got to catch me first............


oh oooops I so didnt just say that 
Honey ALWAYS wears her seatbelt.............. 

[kizkiznobite]

old threads re this...no new laws.....

[xtine]

reminds me.. i saw a JRT in the back of a pick up truck on the M1 going over 80.. dog was on it's own in the back bit... I nearly sh@t myslef.. don't think it was tied in at all 

[Foxisle_crazy]

I saw a bloke driving on the A1 once in a battered old transit and a huge rottie across his lap hanging its head out the window 

[kerrie and stan]

i have seen loads of little dogs sitting on the parcel shelves at the back of cars barking at the people behind

[rooooooooby]

i did a lovely thread once which calculated how much an average size border collie dog would weigh if it hit you from being unrestrained in the back of the car - it was ALOT !!

there are good and bad about each type of restraint depending on the impact - e.g. a good crate will protect your dogs from sustaining too much damage in many types of crash but may cause injury in heavy back end crashes particularly in newer and estate cars because much more of the back is "crumple zone" and much less structural.  However, not restraining the dog could cause it to kill occupants in the car in even a fairly slow crash, hinder your rescue by being at risk of getting out onto the highway and possibly causing other accidents, or it might just manage to wiggle free and save itself and wait patiently for you to come and collect it   (note: only very well trained dogs indeed would do this).

attaching leads to seatbelts ... any moderate or fierce decelleration would probably break your dogs neck if attached to a flat collar.  there are a range of harnesses some are slippable, others not.

*SOME* crates, slings and harnesses are now being crash tested ...

nb - some crates which are on back seats can literally explode from the impact of the dog on the crate side and fling the dog out the car (also some side airbag systems can break crates too . . . some dog harnesses will simply snap in a crash aswell

Claire.

p.s. here we go ...

at 30mph collision if an average weight border collie collided with you it would be the equivalent weight of 340kgs or 748lbs or over 53 stone . . .  (thats almost 5 of me !!!!!!)

[*Nick*]

reminds me.. i saw a JRT in the back of a pick up truck on the M1 going over 80.. dog was on it's own in the back bit... I nearly sh@t myslef.. don't think it was tied in at all 

very common around here, see at least 1 a day

[*Nick*]

I saw a bloke driving on the A1 once in a battered old transit and a huge rottie across his lap hanging its head out the window 

yup, we do that too, Sadie likes to drive

[*Nick*]

i have seen loads of little dogs sitting on the parcel shelves at the back of cars barking at the people behind

she likes to look out the back window, and side windows--each one in turn....doesn't bark though, that would be wrong 

[kizkiznobite]

ami would like to do that given the choice 

[Mudgie]

I have had several conversations in distant past with policeman and fireman about this.  In their experience with road traffic accidents most dogs who are "unattached" walk away from the accident - there are more casualties with dogs who are restrained. 

The only way that the police can prosecute you re the dog being loose is if it is distracting you and causing you to drive with undue care and attention. 

[kizkiznobite]

i think i have said before that when i was involved in a major accident i had gillyroo in the back of the hatchback...the first impact from the lorry took out the rear screen and she jumped out ...fast i guess..before the second impact moments later...had she been restrained then she wouldnt have lived..the rear section of the car ended up where the back seat was the back seet ended up in the front and i ended up in the foot well....to be honest i am not interested in any stats...for me they are just that..stats...having experienced what i did then that is enough argument for me...my dogs go in the rear...they are not tied in or crated in..they are cued to lie still and not bloody move until i say so...as mudge saw with loulou the other weekend  engine on means lie down eh mudge?

[Mudgie]

yip and if you aint lying down then the engine stops 

would that be negative punishment ?  taking away the journey to stop the behaviour? 

[Sweetypye]

I would never use seat belts for my dogs but they are always crated, for their own safety, mine and that of other road users.  Also it means I can leave them in the car with the tailgate and windows open.