The Department for Transport (DfT) has provided an essential update regarding potential legislation to 'require drivers to report collisions with cats'. The statement responds to an ongoing petition calling for motorists to be held 'accountable' should they fail to stop, leaving cats to 'unnecessarily suffer'.
Whilst the petition contended that legislating this matter is a 'perfectly reasonable and simple ask', the DfT said it has 'no current plans' to implement such a change. However, it emphasised that the Government's Road Safety Strategy will 'improve road safety for all road users, including cats and other animals'.
In a response published on February 3, the UK Government department said: "On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035.
"This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.
"Road safety is a shared responsibility, and this strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone, which will in turn reduce the risk to all animals."
Additionally, the DfT highlighted section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which requires drivers to report accidents involving specified animals, including horses, cattle, mules, sheep, pigs, goats, dogs, or donkeys. Cats and other wild animals are excluded from this because the requirement only covers animals with working status, not domestic pets.
The department also noted that cats are considerably smaller than the other listed animals and are typically most active at dawn or dusk, which may leave drivers unaware they have struck one. Consequently, it's believed that prosecuting drivers would be 'difficult' if the law were changed.
It then continued: "In June 2024, the Government introduced compulsory cat microchipping to help reunite lost and stray cats. All cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living.
"The legislation is intended to improve pet welfare by increasing the likelihood of reuniting lost or stray pet cats with their keepers. Defra works closely with stakeholders to communicate pet microchipping requirements to the public.
"Defra has also commissioned a research project to understand the operational challenges that currently prevent some cats from being reunited with their keepers after a road traffic collision. The project will provide an evidence base to inform best practice for local authorities and is due to report later this year.
"As set out in the Animal welfare strategy for England, DEFRA will work with the pet microchip database industry to develop improvements to the way the microchipping regime currently operates to make it easier for vets and other users to access records digitally and improve the accuracy of data. DEFRA will also continue to support the roll out of cat microchipping."
At present, the petition titled 'Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats' has attracted more than 14,000 signatures. Should it reach 100,000, it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate.
You can view the petition and its response in full at Parliament's website here.
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