Car safety & dogs. Strap in!

Did you know it is illegal to drive with an unrestrained animal in your vehicle, in NSW?   The penalty is a fine up to $439 and demerits on your driver’s licence. If a dog is injured because it was not restrained, a driver can face up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine up to $5,500. 

An unrestrained dog can be launched like a projectile if you brake suddenly or have a collision. This can cause serious injury to both dog and human occupants.  Around 5000 Australian dogs each year are injured or killed falling from a moving vehicle, according to the RSPCA.

It’s illegal to have a dog on your lap while you’re driving.  There’s a potential fine and demerits.  But preferably don’t put your dog on the front passenger seat if the backseat is available. The front passenger seat is statistically the most dangerous seat for people, but for dogs there’s the added danger of the airbag. Its impact can be deadly or cause serious injury. 

Never put a dog in the boot of a sedan.  It’s illegal for excellent reasons – there’s no protection from exhaust fumes, and it’s poorly ventilated, hot, terrifyingly dark, noisy and claustrophobic.

If you’ve a ute or trailer, your dog must be tethered and/or crated appropriately for their safety.  They must also be protected from contact with the metal if the temperature reaches 28°C.

How to strap a dog in?  

The cheapest solution is a car-harness properly secured to the seatbelt:

• In a collision or sudden braking, the dog won’t be launched like a projectile.
• The driver is less likely to be distracted by the dog.
• The dog can’t jump/fall out of an open window. Dogs can easily press the window button, so it’s a good idea to also activate the window lock.
• It can keep the dog’s head within the car. Although dogs love putting their head out the window, it does often lead to injury from pebbles kicked up by tyres, or flying dirt causing eye infections, and so on. 

Other options are – 

• car carriers have an added benefit of protecting seats from claws, dirt and loose fur. It must be securely attached to the seat.
• Booster seats (for small dogs) also protect the car seats. And being able to see out the window helps with motion sickness.  It will need to be securely attached to the seat, plus your dog will also need to be attached with a harness.

For further information, see:  

https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/-and-hazards/driving-distractions#Animalsinyourvehicle

https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-19

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