Sydney driver slammed for dangerous dog act while travelling at 110km/h on highway

A motorist has been caught driving at 70 mph on the highway while his dog was in the back of a pickup truck.

The dangerous moment was recently spotted by another driver on a Sydney highway.

The motorist posted a photo of the risky act on Reddit last Thursday, showing the dog peering over the back of the van’s bed.

“Is it allowed for someone driving 70 mph on the highway to keep their dog in an open trunk?” the person asked in their post.

The post was flooded with hundreds of reactions from social media users, who were divided over the move.

‘I saw such a dog on a hill under 10 [degree] day, light rain with a zip tie around his mouth. Don’t get a dog if you can’t treat him right,’ someone wrote.

“I once saw a dog jump out of a pickup truck and get caught under the wheel when he reached the end of the chain,” someone else wrote.

Others defended pet owners, saying dogs should be allowed in the back of vans if drivers ensured it was safe for them to do so.

“As long as they are being held, the weather isn’t too hot and they are of course comfortable, this isn’t necessarily bad or cruel,” one person wrote.

“Do you think dogs do much better in a vehicle, where they don’t even have to be restrained and can act as a projectile in the event of a collision?” someone else argued.

Motorists in NSW must ensure their pets are securely restrained when in the back of a pickup truck.

Drivers risk fines and possible jail time if they fail to keep their pets safe.

‘Consider securing your dog in the cab of your pick-up or open vehicle with a seat belt, as this is generally safer, especially in the event of an accident,’ the RSPCA advises.

Motorists are urged to ensure that the seat belt is long enough for their dog to stand or lie down, but not too long as the dog could jump or fall.

Last year, a motorist caused a stir among social media users after he was spotted on the Pacific Motorway near the Gold Coast with his dog tied to the back of his pickup truck.

“Can’t they just let their dog ride shotgun like a normal Australian,” one person wrote.

If the dog is tied to the middle [of the cabin] and the driver drives normally and responsibly, then I don’t think it’s a problem,’ wrote another user.

A driver divided social media users last year after he was spotted on the Pacific Motorway on the Gold Coast with his dog tied to the back of his pickup (pictured)