Is it illegal to drive with an unrestrained dog?

  • By: DogCarTravelGuide
  • Date: February 13, 2021
  • Time to read: 2 min.

Is it illegal to drive with an unrestrained dog

Most states don’t have legislation about how a dog should stay in a car, but a few of them do.

Is it illegal to drive with an unrestrained dog?

Rhode Island introduced a law, in 2012 stating that any dog should be either restrained with a harness or in a crate, while in a car.

New Hampshire, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut, all address this issue, even if they don’t require the dog to be restrained.

In case of an accident, no matter where you are, if you were driving with an unrestrained dog, you will be liable and the insurer will have something to say about it.

Safety first

No matter how good of a driver you are, or how well behaved your dog is, it is always dangerous to drive with your dog unrestrained.

In case of a harsh break, the dog can be catapulted in the car. I once witnessed a small puddle hitting the windscreen when the owner stopped at a crosswalk.

Something as simple as leg trauma could mean expensive visits to the vet. But things could become much more complicated if the dog interfered with driving and the driver’s searing was blocked at a bad time.

Using proper restraint for your dog can save lives .

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