Plan where your pet will travel while the campervan is moving. A comfortable place to sleep when parked is not automatically an appropriate travel position. The arrangement must suit the animal, the restraint or carrier and the actual vehicle installation.
Start with the Highway Code
Highway Code Rule 57 says animals should be suitably restrained so they cannot distract the driver or injure themselves or people if the vehicle stops quickly. It gives examples including a seatbelt harness, carrier, cage or guard.
That list does not mean every product bearing one of those names provides equal protection. Follow the product's instructions and verify that your proposed seatbelt, seating position or mounting arrangement is compatible. Do not attach equipment to a cupboard or improvised fixing merely because it appears sturdy.
Compare the evidence behind the description
PDSA's safe-car-travel guidance explains that product protection can be difficult to assess and highlights the difference between containing an animal and protecting it in a collision. A barrier may help protect passengers without providing equivalent protection for the pet.
Read the actual test information rather than relying on a listing's headline. For example, Ruffwear's Load Up testing explanation describes dynamic testing but explicitly distinguishes it from Center for Pet Safety certification. The manufacturer says its results would not meet CPS’s current forward-excursion limits, which concern how far forward the animal travels during the test. “Crash tested” and “CPS certified” are not interchangeable descriptions. This example illustrates how to read evidence; it is not a comparative safety test or endorsement by this site.
Check fit and installation together
Measure the animal using the maker's sizing instructions and consider the model's stated weight range. Check how the harness is meant to attach, whether the animal can become entangled and whether the travel position interferes with doors, seat mechanisms or other occupants.
For a carrier or crate, check suitable size, ventilation, condition and the specified securing method. Include the space needed to load the animal without it escaping into traffic. An item fitting through the van door does not establish that it can be installed as intended.
Introduce the travel setup before a long journey and ask your vet for advice about distress, travel sickness or health concerns. A restraint should not be used to compensate for a pet that is unfit to travel.
Review the complete journey
Plan appropriate breaks, water and arrival arrangements. Inspect travel equipment according to its instructions, including any requirements after damage or a collision. Keep the correct model instructions with your vehicle records so another driver can use the same arrangement properly.
Sources checked on 25 October 2026. No harness or vehicle installation was crash-tested or approved by this site.
