Long Drives With Pets: Doing It Safely on South African Roads

Restrain them properly

A loose pet in a car is a danger to themselves and to you. In a collision an unrestrained animal becomes a projectile, and even in normal driving a dog underfoot at the wrong moment causes accidents. Use a crash-tested harness clipped to the seatbelt, or a secured crate. A lap is not a restraint.

Heat is the real risk

South African summer road trips carry a genuine danger of heatstroke, and cars heat up far faster than people expect. Never leave a pet in a parked car, not for five minutes, not with a window cracked, not in shade. If you cannot take them with you at a stop, someone stays in the car with the engine and aircon running.

Stop more than you want to

Every two hours is a reasonable rhythm: water, a short lead walk, a chance to relieve themselves. Keep the lead on at every single stop. Petrol station forecourts on the N1 are no place for a dog who has decided to explore.

Motion sickness

Common in young dogs and often outgrown. A light meal three hours before rather than immediately before helps, as does a position where they can see forward. If your dog reliably vomits on every journey, speak to your vet — there is effective medication and no reason to just endure it.

Carry the paperwork

Vaccination records, your vet's number, and a recent photograph on your phone. If a pet goes missing at a stop hundreds of kilometres from home, that photograph is what you will need in the first hour.