No plans to force drivers to report collisions with cats, government says
By: | Published: 2025-12-12 19:30:00 | Source: www.bbc.com
The government says it has “no current plans” to force drivers who run over a cat to report the collision.
Nearly 11,000 people have signed an e-petition submitted to Parliament calling for the government “to make it law that if you hit a cat you must legally report it and take it to the nearest vets”.
Cats and wild animals are not covered by the Road Traffic Act 1988, which states drivers must stop and report an accident which involves certain specified animals such as dogs, horses, cattle, mules, sheep, pigs or goats.
A government statement said that prosecutions would be difficult due to the small size of cats and their tendency to be “most active at dawn or dusk”.
The government understands “how upsetting it is when a much-loved pet is killed on our roads”, the statement read, adding…
