Monday marks National Pet Day in the UK, and many people will be heading out for day trips with their beloved four-legged friends to celebrate the Easter holidays.
With Scots heading out onto the road with their furry companions in the car, experts have issued a warning to drivers that they could face thousands of pounds in fines.
While travelling with dogs and cats in the car is legal, there are rules that must be followed by motorists if they wanted to avoid finding themselves in trouble — as well as putting their pet in harm's way.
READ MORE — Cheapest way to get to Edinburgh Airport with taxi, bus, car and tram compared
To keep drivers from having to pay up to £5,000 in fines, and to make sure animals are as safe as possible, car experts at Peter Vardy have shared five mistakes pet owners are making when driving with their animals in tow.
Here is a round-up of what you need to know.
1. Travelling with your dog in the hot weather could land you with a £2,000 fine and an animal cruelty charge
It’s widely known that pets should not be left in a hot parked car for a prolonged period, or owners could be charged with animal cruelty and landed with a £2,000 fine. However, what many people don’t know is that it also applies to driving on long journeys.
Direct sunlight through windows can send the temperature inside your vehicle skyrocketing and a hot enclosed space can lead to pets overheating and experiencing heat stroke symptoms.
If you’re committing to a long journey in hot weather, you must take regular breaks and consider investing in sun shades to keep your pet cooler.
2. Letting pets out of the car on the hard shoulder could cost £2,500
Rule 56 of the Highway Code states that if you are broken down on a hard shoulder, you are not to let your pets out of the car.
Doing so could not only cause a distraction to other drivers but a frightened pet could lose control and run out into the road, causing an accident.
Failing to follow this rule could land you with a careless driving fine of up to £2,500.
3. Not securing your pets properly could cost you £5,000
There’s more to travelling than putting pets on the back seat and hoping for the best. Rule 57 of the Highway Codes state that dogs should be “suitably restrained” so they do not injure you or themselves.
Should a pet that is roaming freely cause you to swerve or break suddenly, you could be landed with a careless driving fine of up to £5,000.
A crash-tested pet seatbelt, cage or secure carrier are the most suitable options for securing your pooch.
4. A distracting dog could land you with a £1,000 fine
Pups that aren’t comfortable with car journeys can resort to howling or causing a struggle when trying to get out of their cage.
These displays of car anxiety can distract drivers, meaning they’re likely to be pulled over by the police and slammed with a £1,000 fine for not having “proper control” of a vehicle.
5. A dog sticking their head out of the window could cost you 3 points and a £2,500 fine
Many pets like to stick their heads out of windows of cars while travelling. Not only could this be a sign of a pet that is not properly secured, it could also cause a distraction to other drivers travelling at high speeds.
Although not a legal requirement set out in legislation, you could still be pulled over for “driving without due care and attention” which comes with three points on your license and a £2,500 fine.
