There are many owners of motorhomes who are also dog lovers and often take them on holiday in their leisure vehicle. However, how many of those people are aware that they should suitably restrain their pet in the vehicle?

A lot of people setting off on holiday in their motorhomes will allow their dog to relax unrestrained in the living area of the vehicle whether on the floor or on a chair with the freedom to roam around the vehicle whilst they are driving their vehicle to their holiday destination.

Well, Rule 57 of the Highway Code states: –

“When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars.”

As you can see, it is quite clear what you should do when travelling in your motorhome with your dog.

The penalty if you are caught could be quite severe as, for instance, you could be prosecuted for driving without due attention and care. You could be fined up to £5,000 and receive penalty points on your driving license. If you were involved in a road traffic accident whilst transporting an unrestrained dog you could also find that your motorhome insurance provider may refuse to pay out in the event of a claim.

As the Highway Code mentions, there are a number of ways that you can secure your dog in your vehicle whilst travelling to your holiday destination. A motorhome is much larger than a car so hopefully you will be able to use the likes of a cage enabling your dog to be able to move around within it thus allowing it to travel in a reasonable amount of comfort.

Do remember that you may need to build breaks into your journey to enable your dog to pop to the loo and take a short walk. Also do not forget to provide access to water on the journey.

Do not let your dog sit on the front passenger seat in case the airbag goes off or your dog distracts you whilst driving.

Whilst writing, do bear in mind that if your existing motorhome insurance is shortly going to be coming up for renewal why not get in touch with us with a view to getting a no-obligation, competitive quote. We look forward to hearing from you.