Buckle up your best friends
Whether you’re taking your pooch to the park or your parrot to the vet, it’s important that your pet’s safe when travelling in the car.
The right pet restraint is the best way to help you avoid a fine, keep distractions to a minimum and make sure your little sidekick secure.
Your pet restraint options
A recent survey shows that more than 20% of Australian pet owners don’t secure their pets while driving, with an additional 4.8% admitting they’re only held by a human passenger. For safety’s sake, try these options for securing your pets.
Safety harnesses
You can use a safety harness, like Chief is modelling in the video above, that works in conjunction with your car’s seatbelts.
They can be purchased from reputable pet stores, department or hardware stores in different styles and sizes, including convenient two-in-one car safety and walking harnesses. The restraint allows your pet to sit up or lay down and stops them jumping around the car or out an open window. While designed primarily for dogs, you can also use them for well-behaved cats that are familiar with harnesses.
Crates or cages
For smaller dogs, cats, rabbits and other furry and feathered friends, it’s advisable to transport them in a pet crate or cage. The crate or cage can be secured to your back seat using the seatbelt or a harness so it doesn’t slide around or fly off the seat.
For nervous pets, consider putting a blanket or towel over the carrier to avoid them becoming overwhelmed by outside light and sound. It also stops claws and beaks nibbling on the seats and door trim.
Utes, four-wheel-drives and station wagons
Your pets can sit in the sectioned-off cargo area if it is fitted with a barrier. It’s still recommended to use a restraint or crate to avoid any potential injury to your pet in the case of a crash.
If your dog is travelling in the open tray of a ute, it must be safely restrained either with a safety harness or in a crate, and never with a choke collar. It can also get very hot, so don’t leave them in the tray without shelter or for long periods of time.
The hidden cost of unrestrained pets
While it isn’t a legal requirement to buckle up your pets, driving with one on your lap is an offence and is considered a distraction. Inattention and distraction contribute to about half of all lives lost and more than a third of serious injuries on South Australian roads.
Between 2015 and 2024, more than 1170 SA drivers have been caught with an animal on their lap, which results in a $221 fine plus $102 Victims of Crime Levy.
Don’t run the risk of injuring yourself or your pet. Buckle up your feathered, furry, scaled and human passengers before you drive.
Have a question about road rules?
RAA’s road rules experts are here to help.