New law change plan for all motorists 12-day deadline
Currently rules apply to horses, cattle, ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats
A key update has been made regarding potential changes to the law which could impact all drivers and anyone with a cat. A petition on the Parliament website is calling for all motorists to be forced to report collisions with cats.
It has soared to more than 66,000 signatures - and if it gets to 100,000, it will be considered for a parliamentary debate. However, there is a key deadline of just 12 days before it closes - so any supporters need to sign up now.
The petition says: “It is legal in the UK to hit a cat when driving and not need to stop or report collisions, leaving them scared, alone, and in pain. Cats are important, loved, valued family members for many, and we believe the law should reflect this.
“We want the Government to legislate to require drivers to stop, check and report any road collisions with cats if they’re injured on the road, and hold drivers accountable if they fail to stop and report a collision involving a cat on the basis that they left a cat to unnecessarily suffer. We believe asking drivers to be made responsible for seeking help for an injured cat is a perfectly reasonable & simple ask.”
The people behind the petition have reached out saying: “We have just two weeks to reach 100k, but should the current trend continue, then we will smash that target. We began the petition as a result of our campaign which started because our cats were hit by cars and left on the road for dead. We, as I’m sure all cat owners will agree, can appreciate some level of danger having free-roaming animals, as we can all reasonably expect some level of danger every time we leave the house and cross roads. Accidents will sadly always happen and what we don’t want to do is penalise good drivers and decent people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in the unfortunate position of having hit a cat when driving.
“What we can not accept and do not understand is the drivers that drive off and leave the cats scared, alone, in pain, or worse, roadside. Not stopping to help a cat, or any animal, is unforgivable in our view and we want the law to stand with us on that. We do not want drivers to have criminal records or pay our vet bills, we simply want drivers to help our cats should the worst happen. If they fail to do so, we want them to, by law, be accountable and face justice. “
A recent report from PetPlan revealed that approximately 230,000 cats are run over each year, equating to 630 every day, and that 35% of drivers admit to having hit a cat.
The UK is a nation of cat lovers with approximately 12.2 million cats in UK households; which makes cats the second most popular pet in the UK, second only to dogs, with 27 per cent of households owning at least one cat.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report an accident involving horses, cattle ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats. The distinction was made to protect working animals. A 2018 study by Carbuyer found almost 60 per cent of those surveyed agreed the law should be changed to include cats as well.
Because the petition has gone past 10,000 signups it has prompted a response from the Department for Transport. It said: “The Government has no current plans to require drivers to report collisions with cats. However, the Road Safety Strategy will improve road safety for all road users, including cats and other animals.
“This is a compassionate country and although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.
“Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report an accident involving specified animals including horses, cattle, ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets. To introduce such a measure within the provision of section 170, would require primary legislation. (Note that certain legislation still uses the word ‘accident’, although the preferred terms are collision or crash.)
“Because cats are much smaller than other specified animals, and often most active at dawn or dusk, in many cases drivers may not be aware they’ve hit them – particularly with larger vehicles. Because of that, it would be difficult to prosecute drivers if the law was changed.”
To read the full government response and sign up to the petition click here.
