Many families, unaware of the dangers and the law, allow their dogs to jump around inside moving vehicles or travel unrestrained in the back of a ute.

Unrestrained animals can suffer injuries even in a minor crash and the animal can cause serious injury to the car’s occupants.

It is also an offence to drive with an animal on your lap and penalties range from demerit points to fines.

A dog must be in a correctly anchored travel crate/box or tethered to the tray to prevent the animal from jumping or falling from the vehicle.

“In the past 12 months, we had a case of a dog being dragged by a ute as a result of the tether-chain being too long,” pet safety specialist Nadia Crighton says.

“This was a horrific incident for the dog and the distraught owner was oblivious to the scene unfolding behind the vehicle.”

 Drivers face a $405 fine and three demerit points if caught with an animal on their lap. In school zones, the fine increases to $506 and four demerit points.

Under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, owners carrying dogs untethered on the backs of utes can be fined $500.