A petition is calling for drivers to legally report road collisions involving cats
A petition asks for a new law to be introduced to force drivers to report collisions with cats(Image: Getty Images)
A notable campaign has gained momentum regarding proposed legislation that would impact both drivers and cat owners across the country.
A petition hosted on the Parliament website is calling for all motorists to be legally obliged to report road accidents involving cats.
The petition reached more than 100,000 signatures, meaning it will be considered for debate in Parliament. In total, more than 109,000 signatures have been secured at the time of writing on Monday, June 8.
The petition reads: “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 and simple ask.”
The petition organisers have come forward, stating: “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 statistics from PetPlan reveal that approximately 230,000 cats are hit by vehicles each year, equating to 630 daily incidents.
Britain is renowned for its love of cats, with around 12.2 million felines residing in homes across the country, making them the nation’s second most beloved pet after dogs, with 27 per cent of households owning at least one cat, reports the Mirror.
According to section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, drivers must stop and report collisions involving horses, cattle, ass, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but cats are notably excluded.
This distinction was originally made to protect working animals. A 2018 Carbuyer survey found that nearly 60 per cent of participants felt the legislation should be updated to encompass cats as well.
Following the petition reaching over 10,000 signatures, the Department for Transport issued a response. It stated: “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.”
The full government response and petition can be accessed here.
