All about transporting animals by car

Mothers… even a small animal? No problem: animals, just like children, can be transported by car and the sooner you get used to them the better. Let's see together what are the rules to follow to travel in the company of our furry dogs in complete safety.

Car transport of animals: we start from the Highway Code

As always, the basis from which we start when we talk about safety in cars is that of our Highway Code which, in article 169, prohibits "the transport of pets in numbers greater than one, and in any case in conditions that constitute an impediment or danger to guide". From the norm it would be inferred that a single animal can be transported without particular precautions, provided that, in fact, it cannot disturb the driver in any way. But be careful because the Code seems rather liberal, while in reality it admits the repression of a large number of behaviors, at the discretion of whoever should stop you. Our advice is to always keep the animal safe, so that it cannot reach the driver or constitute a potentially dangerous free body in the event of an accident.

The same rule allows the transport of pets, even in numbers greater than one, as long as they are kept in a special cage or container or in the rear compartment of the driver's seat divided by a net or other similar suitable means. Attention because these dividers, if installed permanently, "must be authorized by the competent office of the Department for land transport". Therefore, the law allows the transport of more than one pet by car, but in this case it is mandatory to place them in a cage or in the second row of seats or in the trunk, but necessarily separated from the rest of the passenger compartment by a net or similar device.

Penalties for incorrect transport of animals by car

Anyone who does not comply with the provisions of the Highway Code on the transport of pets by car can incur a fine ranging from 87 to 345 euros, in addition to the deduction of a point on the license. On the other hand, anyone who installs a fixed dividing network or barrier without requiring regular authorization infringes Article 78, also of the Highway Code, and risks a fine from 431 to 1,734 euros.

Transporting animals by car, our practical advice

Air conditioning
Keep in mind that animals suffer a lot from temperature changes, so if we don't want to do it to preserve our health, let's do it for them: let's not overdo the cold, even on these sultry days. Better to set a temperature around 21 degrees, and avoid that the body of our four-legged friends is hit by direct blows of cold air. We preferably keep the window open to encourage a more natural air exchange.

Car sickness
We have often talked about car sickness, or motion sickness, with regard to children, and our pediatrician explained to us how it is essential to get them used to cars from an early age. One of the funniest ways to introduce them to this type of movement is to take our children on the swing. If we cannot do the same thing with dog or cat puppies, we still have to get used to them slowly, from the first months of life. Small journeys initially and then always already long.

Medicines
If our furry friend cannot stand car travel, we can ask the veterinarian for advice who will surely be able to help us and prescribe, if necessary, appropriate anti-emetic drugs to help him live the hours in the passenger compartment better.

Driving style
Appendix to chapter nausea and how to defeat it: always remember that driving gently, avoiding sudden acceleration and braking will also help animals suffer less from car sickness.

Food
As for children, the same rule applies to animals: no large meals before setting off, better to get in light cars, but still well hydrated.

Pauses
It is perhaps superfluous to specify it, but we intersperse the journey with breaks to allow our animals to stretch their paws and do their needs.

Locked by car? No thanks!
Even more superfluous, it seems to us to specify not to leave our pet in the car alone for long in the summer, especially in a hot summer like the one we are experiencing. The temperature in the passenger compartment when it is very hot outside rises rapidly and the car could prove to be a death trap. So dogs (and children) come down with us during the stops.

And finally: every year around 130,000 animals are abandoned on the street, with peaks especially during the summer months. It is a crime that includes the penalty of imprisonment (up to one year) and a hefty fine (up to 10,000 euros). But beyond the deterrent: DO NOT EVEN COME INTO MIND !!!