Dogs. Man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Or, in this case, a van driver’s best friend.
Recently, a very important study conducted by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles concluded that a whopping 41% of you would rather take your loyal canine buddies to work with you. This is instead of leaving them at home (potentially alone), or even with a trusted dog-sitter. Unfortunately, 29% of you also confessed to not securing them safely in your vans, meaning your pooch may not be restrained properly. Big deal? Well actually, yes.
If you’re going to take pets on work journeys with you, then they must be suitably restrained, according to the Highway Code (Rule 57, to be precise). This is to avoid accidents that could consequently be caused by your dog (or other pet) distracting you. You could also be looking at a fine, and above all, potentially nullify your van insurance.
This means, that as much as we might love our goof ball pups up in the front seat with us, it’s best to safely secure our dogs in an alternative fashion. There are a few options you could try if you haven’t already done so. For example, use a harness that doubles as a seatbelt, a secure cage or carrier, or the ever-popular method of using the boot (as long as you’re able to use a dog-guard). It goes without saying, that whichever choice you make, ensure your dog is as comfortable as possible.
In other van and dog-related news, there have been reports of an unfortunate case of a delivery driver spending time at a police station (approximately five hours!) because of dogs. The police arrested the delivery driver from Wales after wrongful accusations were made against him. He was suspected of stealing a couple of sheepdogs, when in reality, the hard-working driver was actually carrying out his deliveries and found the dogs on a road. Following this, he tried to get them to safety.
So, whether you’re out and about in your van with your beloved dog as a companion, or if you’ve found a stray, and you’re trying to help it, be careful not to be mistaken as a dog thief! Secondly, and most importantly, secure your furry companions safely and keep your van insurance policy valid. It’s as simple as that. Whilst you’re here, why not prepare for renewing your premium and have a browse for cheap van insurance quotes?