A law currently applies to horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats
A significant development has emerged surrounding potential legislation that could affect all motorists and cat owners alike. A petition on the Parliament website is demanding that all drivers be legally required to report accidents involving cats.
It has already surpassed 66,000 signatures – and should it reach 100,000, it will be put forward for consideration in a parliamentary debate. Crucially, there are just 12 days remaining before the petition closes – meaning supporters need to act fast.
The petition states: “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. “
Recent figures from PetPlan show that roughly 230,000 cats are struck by vehicles annually, working out at 630 each day, with 35% of motorists confessing to having hit a cat. The UK is a nation of cat lovers, with roughly 12.2 million cats living in British households, making them the second most popular pet in the country, behind only dogs, with 27 per cent of households owning at least one feline.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, motorists are obliged to stop and report accidents involving horses, cattle, ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats. The distinction was drawn to safeguard working animals. A 2018 study by Carbuyer revealed almost 60 per cent of respondents believed the law should be amended to include cats as well.
Because the petition has surpassed 10,000 signatures, it has triggered 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 complete government response and sign the petition click here.
