Make Sure Your Pets Are Secured In The Car

Did you know that if your pet is not secured in the car when you are travelling from one place to another in it then, should you be involved in a road traffic accident, your car insurance may not pay out? Not making sure that your cat or dog or other pet is secure is a breach of the Highway Code.

Make sure your dog is secured in the car whilst you are driving the vehicle.

Some interesting research has been carried out on behalf of uSwitch.com that reveals 69% of motorists have had their pet accompany them on a car journey. Apparently, 19% of motorists do not secure their pets in the vehicle whilst it is moving.

34% of drivers did not know about the rules of the Highway Code relating to the transporting of pets in a vehicle whilst that vehicle is being driven.

A staggering 21% of drivers said that they were distracted by their pet whilst they were at the steering wheels of their vehicles. This is a most concerning statistic. Also concerning is that 21% of those motorists who were distracted either nearly hit another driver or were involved in an accident.

70% of those drivers taking part in the survey took their dogs in the car, 37% of those motorists took their cats in the vehicle, 6% took fish, 6% took hamsters, 4% took guinea pigs, 4% took birds, 2% took parrots and 1% each took lizards, spiders and snakes.

Why take the risk of putting your dog or cat on the front or back seat of the car without restraining him or her and then be distracted by your loved one resulting in a collision with another vehicle or injuring a pedestrian only to find that when you submit a claim on your car insurance policy that the insurance company refuses to pay out. So, make sure that your pet is suitably restrained in your vehicle. Let’s not forget that if your pet is secured in the vehicle then he or she is less likely to suffer an injury should you be involved in a road traffic accident.