Calls to tighten rules on dog restraints in cars

Calls for tighter rules on how dogs are restrained in cars have been brough before the Department of Transport, it has been revealed.

The Department says the issue was raised after it sent a query from a member of the public to the Road Safety Authority on the issue.

However in a statement this morning, Minister Leo Varadkar's department said there are no plans to legislate for dog seatbelts at this stage.

"The issue of dog restraints was raised by a member of the public with the Department of Transport, and the Department forwarded the query on to the RSA for its views on that basis," the statement said.

"Official road safety advice is that any large object in a car can inflict damage during a collision."

Nonetheless the ISPCA says it is a major safety issue and dogs can inflict severe injuries on passengers and themselves, if thrown around during a crash.

Noel Griffin of the ISPCA said it is a good idea to have dogs restrained in harnesses or in a sectioned-off part of a vehicle.

"The main issue here is that any object coming from the back of the car to the front, at any speed… I would hate to think of a large, 60kg (dog) coming from the back fo the car to the front."