Just to prevent comments about my dog flying all around the car: we do have a seat belt for the harness and the backseat is separated from the front. But this is common sense, I don’t use it due to the legal requirements which I thought was the point of discussion.
Could you please specify where it is stated? We contacted the authorities before moving to CH to clarify that question and the answer was like melloncollie said that the dog should not interfere with the driver but nothing specific. So I’m just curious where I have missed it.
@ Ubka
Luba had posted that she intended for a medium size 19 dog to travel in her 2 seater car with the dog on the floor in between daughter's feet. Your reply was
" One of my dogs always travels in passengers feet, the other - on the backseat. We were checked at the border multiple times, no issues with the border officers so far. Your dog doesn’t need to be restrained in a car, as long as she doesn’t bother the driver "
IMO you gave an irresponsible reply to a visitor asking about rules and whether her dog could travel in the front on the floor. How on earth can a dog who is not restrained in some way, whether it be a crate or a harness, not be a potential distraction for a driver and, even more so when sitting in the passenger seat next to the driver.
Here's a good article by Daniel Jung, an attorney who often writes about dogs and law:
http://www.daniel-jung.ch/Hunde/Auto...0-%20Recht.pdf
CherryTree is right; in this sense rules for 'Ladung' would include a dog. So while there are no specific Swiss-wide rules defining how a dog must be secured, the general principles of safely transporting 'stuff' - and common sense, and concern for the dog's wellbeing - apply.
Applies only to UK but here is the relevant section of the Highway code
As 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." Although disobeying the highway doesn't necessarily mean you will be will receive a penalty, the police could pull you over and charge you with driving without due care and attention with carries a maximum fine of £2,500 and nine penalty points.
Would people put a similarly sized toddler unrestrained on the floor of a car? Of course, not so why would anyone think that it is OK to travel with a dog unrestrained/or on the floor or even argue semantics on what could be construed as not distracting the driver and what is law and what not.
The bigger the dog and the greater the free space they have (for example unrestrained in the back even with a guard separating front from back), the greater potential for tragedy in the case of an accident. Even having to slam on the brakes in an emergency could cause the poor dog to bounce up against the sides or the gate with potential for serious injury.
We use the Ruffwear car harness, it's great. Not just for his safety, but if 40kg of dog hit the back of our seats, it could kill us too.
https://ruffwear.com/collections/dog...og-car-harness
Our boot is not big enough for him, but I wouldn't feel happy with the dog in a box in the boot anyway, as I fear what would happen if we got rear ended. That said, car harness is no good in a 2 seater car.... you've not really got any restraint options there.