Drivers warned pets in cars could void cover

Drivers are being warned pets in vehicles could invalidate their insurance.

Andrew Segal, SEO executive at iCarhireinsurance.com said having an unrestrained pet breached the Highway Code, which could lead to voided cover.

The warning comes amid increasing numbers of motorists keeping unrestrained pets in the back of their cars.

“Even though it is not a criminal offence to breach the Highway Code, there are consequences that could subsequently arise from ignoring this guideline.

“Driving without due care and attention’ and ‘dangerous driving’ are both prosecutable offences, with the latter charge coming with a mandatory 12-month disqualification if found guilty,” he said.

“So if your dog (or other pet) are unrestrained in your vehicle and you’re involved in an accident, you’re running the risk of facing one of these charges. And this is of course on top of the risk of injury to both you and the pet in question.

“But that is not all. Insurance companies may invalidate your policy if they discover that there was an unrestrained pet in the vehicle at the time of the incident.”

Segal has pulled together a useful list of tips for brokers and insurers wanting to pass on advice to their customers. 

• All customers should purchase a pet seat belt or car harness
• Another option is buy a pet-barrier safety net to let them roam in a boot
• To avoid pets becoming active and distracting, they have been walked and fed well before the journey to avoid motion sickness.