Dagenham and Rainham MP steps in to help provide better protection for cats.

Margaret Mullane  the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham has signed the petition to Parliament calling for the introduction of a simple, humane duty requiring drivers to stop when safe to do so and take reasonable steps to assist an animal they have collided with. 

The Road Traffic Act which sets out the current law is inconsistent and outdated. It requires reporting collisions with dogs, but not with cats.

A modernised duty based on awareness of collision, rather than species, would be more coherent and more humane. It would not criminalise drivers who genuinely did not realise a collision occurred. Instead, it would ensure that where a driver is aware, they must stop when safe and take reasonable steps to assist – such as calling a vet or local authority.
This would reduce unnecessary suffering, increase the number of injured animals receiving help, and align the law with public expectations of responsible behaviour.

Margaret told the Havering Daily: “The law needs to be updated to better safeguard cats, that’s why I have signed the petition. At present the law is completely inconsistent; a driver must report a collision with a dog but not do so when a cat is hit by a car.

This is about reducing suffering of cats involved in road accidents in exactly the same way the law is in place to protect dogs.”

Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats – Petitions

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