Hey Ozbner,
Travelling with dog in the passenger seat. Got told by a police officer he could fine me for 600+ bucks if my dog is not harnessed to a seatbelt. Never knew this.
Went online and found on RMS that
"Animals should be seated or housed in appropriate areas.A driver must not drive with an animal in their lap."
However, My dog was Not in my lap but just in the passenger seat.
What is the right interpretation of the regulations? Cheers
I thought you were going to write,,,
I was once a passenger in a car when I moved onto the drivers lap..
go on….
i'm still waiting
You dog!
I was once a driver in a car when the passenger moved her head onto my lap……..
Wow, headbutted in the groin. She sounds agro.
That would show extreme flexibility on the part of both parties - and might be worth receiving a $600 fine for…..
desperately looking for legs to hump on
what's to stop the dog moving to your lap?
Proper training, authority and obedience.
I could think of a number of people that could benefit from those.
Oh like Bethany Lynn Stephens' dogs?
The dog shouldn't have been driving in the first place.
Sometimes I think it would be safer if dogs were driving!
Well, we did have pigs in space.
So its ok for dogs to drive at that second place then :)
Swap drivers every 2 hours to avoid microsleeps .
your dog can jump onto you any seconds when he saw a sexy beach beside your window.
…….so avoid Manly?
avoiding manly is always a good idea no matter whats going on
He said sexy beach.
*sexy bitch
If dog sees a sexy beach, or a sexy bitch ;)
(Not a profanity, word used correctly)
Get a harness. I know it sounds inconvenient but you won't want your dog going straight through the front window if something were to happen
or into you if hit sideways….
Totally true.
Any object not restrained appropriately becomes a misile in a crash - including dogs.
It does not take much time and we have 1 sensitive dog and he travels better in this.
You can easily attach a lead and walk with it snd they don’t mind at all - And if doesn’t pull their necks.
I think those ones where the poor dog is hanging midair would be awful For them.
We have the one where they are on the seat but harnessed securely.
This brand we have are well made, easy to put on and have lasted well. They are not overly expensive.
Just some word of advice - I'd recommend to only attach these to a harness instead of a collar so that way the inertia is distributed around the body rather than just the neck.
Yeah, decapitated dog heads van also become missiles in a crash
No. Horrible choice.
Great if you would like to break their neck.
thanks! Bought.
I had an old seatbelt buckle and strap, so made mine out of that.
It's a but overkill, so had to spend money on a harness imagining how it would not give enough to prevent the dog's neck snapping.
Unrelated but once I was driving my two cats to the vet. They were in a cat carrier in the back seat. They got the door open and had to drive the rest of the way (was highway with nowhere to pull over) with one on my shoulder with her claws dug in to my shoulder and the head rest panting and looking out the window and the other one burying herself into my lap and trying to get under my jumper (constantly headbutting plus claws). Got some looks from other drivers due to cat in the window
When it was a kitten one of ours used to ride on my other half's shoulders whilst he was driving. Many years later, when it was much bigger, he was travelling with it on the passenger seat and it remembered about the shoulders. Clawed its way up his arm and then draped behind his neck. He had to pull over and move it.
As a child, mum would drive while I used to wrap cat in towel, hold in my lap restrained but not squashing or hurting him. It seemed to be nicer for the cat, rather than locking in cat carrier cage (which they hated) .
Yes when travelling with someone else I carry cats in a pillow case on my lap (one each, head out but body and limbs restrained). They're always less stressed that way.
If you were legally blind then you could argue he was your seeing eye dog.
What if I am illegally blind?
You'll be arrested.
I bet they wouldn’t see that coming.
But the dog was driving
How much did you have to drink?
A full cup of methanol
still need to be harnessed
Never heard of having to use a harness but anyone with half a brain would know not to put a dog in the passenger seat
Agreed. Always put them on the drivers seat.
Dog trying to drive from passenger seat=fail.
Totally agree. They should only ever be placed on the cab of a ute!
A harness just makes good sense for a number of reasons.
A dog can be like any other loose item in an emergency braking situation, and (depending on the breed) can be heavy. You don't want that weight moving around in the car uncontrolled.
Similarly, the dog may decide to move about (as others have mentioned). This can easily become dangerous.
A dog harness is easy to fit, and then a seat belt feeds through to secure the dog safe and sound for everyone.
Different rules in Victoria. According to VicRoads:
'There are no road rules about securing animals in a vehicle while driving. But, there may be laws in Victoria, such as those preventing cruelty to animals, which may need to be considered when driving with animals in your car.'
preventing cruelty to animals, which may need to be considered when driving with animals in your car.
Such a strange point that Vicroads has decided to add to the section relating to securing animals.
Not sure what kind of cruelty they'd be referring to when driving with an animal in the car.
Would "brake-checking" the person behind you while driving with a animal be considered cruel? lol
Not sure what kind of cruelty they'd be referring to when driving
Eating ice-cream, wearing leather, etc.
Can confirm my dog hates it when I eat in the car with her and don't share. It makes me feel cruel.
Cruelty? Putting on the dvd player and forcing the dog to watch an Adam Sandler movie.
I saw a video where a dog tied to a rail in the tray of a Ute fell off the side and was dragged along the ground. They're possibly referring to something like that.
a dog tied to a rail in the tray of a Ute fell off the side and was dragged along the ground
haha that's pretty bad, but I wouldn't really call that "driving with an animal in the car".
@jdr:
If you were to read my comment fully, I'm actually laughing at the use of the words, hence the bolding of the word "in" - not laughing about a dog being dragged on the ground!
Ok but it still doesn't read like that to me and it seems that three others took it the same way.
@jdr:
haha it makes more sense when you read from my post when I'm asking what sort of cruelty Vicroads could be referring to when driving with an animal in the car.
Not to worry - maybe i just wasn't clear!
I'm in Vic. I have a male border collie that always curls up on the passenger seat. And a female that likes to do the same in the back. Just called 2 mates that are officers and they have never heard of anyone being charged for cruelty. They have both been in the car with me and the dogs. Never been mentioned.
Whether its the law or not Dogs would travel in a car with some sort of harness.
It primarily protects the dog as the dog could become a projectile in an accident, and also protects anyone to be hit by said projectile.
I don't like seeing dogs on the back of tradies' utes, if there were a sudeen stop or accident the dog is in danger.
Not sure who negged you, probably a tradie. I agree with you on dogs on the back of utes. Totally unsafe in the event of an accident. Buy a dual cab, harness your dog in the back if you must take your dog with you on site.
I’ve seen a few dogs on the back tray of a dual cab, on the freeway (110km/h). I was pretty angry.
I recall researching this as well when we first got our dog. That's the only road rule that I've come across. No mention of harness requirement.
you can't have an animal on your lap if you are the driver
you can have it anywhere else - but a harness is a very good idea
In QLD it is against the law to have a dog unharnessed.
Please don't state things as fact when you don't know the law, and haven't bothered to do the minimal amount of research required to inform yourself.
thith.. from qld transport website: "It is an offence to drive with an animal in your lap or to drive when you don't have proper control of your vehicle. We recommend animals travelling inside your vehicle be restrained in some way for the safety and welfare of the animal and the occupants of the vehicle. The road rules do not specifically require an animal to be restrained while travelling inside a vehicle.
https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/regulation/2014/758/pa…
"A driver must not drive a vehicle unless the driver has proper control of the vehicle."
The animal can be a distraction, and prevent proper control of the vehicle.
Also, if an animal is injured as a result of being unrestrained, owners also face up to six months' jail and fines of up to $5500 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
We have a dog and he always rides in the back seat with a harness and a seat belt clip.
Was going to quote the same legislation…
The way I look at having a dog in the car is treat it the same as a toddler. You wouldn’t let a small child stand on the front seat let alone without a harness while the car is in motion, why let your beloved family pet do it? Just cause it isn’t illegal, doesn’t mean it isn’t stupid…
Dogs in the backseat with a body harness on is how I roll…
Sadly many people do let their children go without seatbelts or car seats - and even in the front seat.
I live in a bogan infested area of NSW. So I know all too well about kids in cars with no belts or car seats… But they would treat their animals the smell. Both are feral…
@pegaxs: that's all well and good but when i grew up, there weren't even seatbelts in cars, bogan areas or not, and we're all still alive.
Oh, so that’s settled then. I was looking for some good, solid research that said seat belts are useless. Always thought they were. Now I have it. Snook survived without them, therefore they are not needed…
I don’t know why car companies spend so much money on safety systems on cars…
Lead paint and asbestos, some other great inventions from when you grew up. You didn’t die from either of those, so they must be safe as well.
I love that logic…
/s
@pegaxs: Victoria introduced seat belt laws in 1970 and then the other states adopted those laws.
Going by what you said, anybody in the whole of Australia was a verified bogan before 1970. It doesn't give you the right to call people bogans and say they smell and are feral. You have no idea.
Yes, because I was absolutely talking about pre-1970. Why would I be talking about my present day observations? (Strawman fallacy.)
I have every right to make an observation. I have every right to call a situation as I see it. If a spade is a spade, I don’t call it a shovel because it hurts the spades feelings.
At the school that I volunteer at, it is in a low socioeconomic bracket. The people that are there are predominantly low income earners or welfare recipients. These people have low hygiene standards and their actions are often no better than that of squabbling monkys. They have no interest in bettering their lives and often compare restraining orders while waiting at the school. Their vocabulary is limited and often most of what they are saying contains an expletive every alternate spoken word. The very nasal accent also gives away their heritage.
These same people have no regard for the safety of themselves or that of their family. To them, children are often access to a bump in welfare payments, so are seen as a necessary burden to obtain more cigarette, beer and bong money. Putting a child in the back seat, in and appropriate seat and belted in does not occur to them to do, as they see their child as a means to an end. A commodity item. An income generator. They fail to perceive children as another human being, but more like baggage that needs to be transported…
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck… chances are… it’s a duck.
PS: “smell” was a typo error. It was supposed to say “But they would treat their animals the same”. But you know, they often smell of urine, body odour, stale sweat, cigarettes, beer and bongs, so, I guess, if the shoe fits…
Dog accidentally gets hurt in the back seat - $5500 fine.
10000 chickens get delivered to slaughterhouse in the back of a truck - earn $$$$.
Nice laws!
We eat chickens, we don't eat dogs…well here anyway!
No doubt the law and our cultural whims are equally arbitrary.
@Jolakot: Not really. Fundamental to most ideas about morality is the golden rule. When utilitarianism gets in the way then your suggestion starts taking hold.
Chickens are not considered animals according to Road Traffic Law.
+1 on the dog being in the back seat with a suitable harness. It is safer for everyone concerned than an unrestrained dog catapulting around the car if there is an accident.
Just get your wife to sit in the back seat - simples
Easy to say.. but mine complains like hell when i try to put the muzzle and harness on her.
Can't risk a fine I say..
This is where a travel cage comes in handy.
Could only find ones made for dogs :-( Too small.
I certainly hope you didn't tell her that. Mine gets upset if I mention she can't fit into things..
At least it is better in the eyes of the law than having her "on your lap"
Now we are going back a few decades..
Drove for 13 years with my previous dog in the passenger seat.
Driving for last 2 years with my new dog in the passenger seat.
He loves the view. I love the company. Never had a drama.
Boo to the Australian nanny state!
here, hear Steve!
I drive drunk every weekend. Never had a drama yet.
Boo to the Australian nanny state.
no jokr, taxed to death and then fined to hell for trying to get by.
I've never been fined for trying to get by - what were you fined for?
what's to stop the dog moving to your lap?
I was once a passenger in a car when the dog decided the drivers foot well was a great place to move to…..