Driving with your pet in the car could land you with a £2,500 fine and invalidate your insurance

Dog car

by A Jakes |
Updated on

Turns out, you can face a hefty fine if you drive with your pet roaming around in the car.

Animal-lovers could face a eye-watering £2,500 bill and their insurance invalidated, if their pet isn't safely restrained when in your vehicle.

Because of course, car safety isn't just for humans, it's for fluffy friends too!

This may come as a surprise to some as, according to Confused.com, almost two thirds of UK motorists are unaware that driving with an unrestrained pet can be punished with the hefty fine.

And more than half of pet-owning drivers don't realise letting their pet loose in the car may invalidate their insurance. Alongside failing to restrain our pawed pals, there are a fair number of other surprising things that could invalidate your insurance, such as driving in flip flops or using Apple pay at a drive-thru.

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The study found one in 10 drivers has had an accident while traveling in the car with a pet, or know someone who has.

We aren't just talking dogs either. Cats, hamsters and even snakes, in some examples. Shudders.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “Many drivers will be joined by four-legged companions as they set off on trips across the UK.

"But drivers must restrain their dogs properly, or they could receive fines up to £2,500.

"Driving with an unrestrained pet can also invalidate your car insurance, meaning having to personally pay out for repairs in the event of a claim.

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