Does your dog have a seatbelt on? If not, you could be breaking the law

Drivers are being warned that they could face fines of up to £5,000 if they drive with their pet in the car without a seat belt.

New research from uSwitch.com has revealed that 69 percent of drivers say they travel with their pets 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.

Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix. You can pick up our free pet seat belt (that clips on to their collar like a lead, then into a seatbelt socket).

Gocompare also has the following tips to stay safe traveling with your pets:

• If you are traveling with a dog, try and take it for a long walk before you set off so it doesn’t have any pent-up energy for the journey ahead.
• Don’t feed your pet for two hours before you travel as many suffer from motion sickness.
• Restrain your animal properly with a harness, crate or guard. There are many on the market so shop around and see which one is best for your car and your pet.