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Drivers In Jersey Face ₦5.6m Fines If They Hit A Cat And Fail To Report To Owner Or Police
Drivers in Jersey face up to £10,000 (or about ₦5.6m) fines if they hit a cat and fail to report the accident to the owner or the police.
Politicians in Jersey, an island officially known as the Bailiwick of Jersey, voted to change the law on Tuesday.
Now, drivers will be required to report running over a cat with their vehicle to the owner, the JSPCA or the police or face the fine.
Drivers in Jersey, an island officially known as the Bailiwick of Jersey, could be fined as much as £10,000 (or about ₦5.6 million) if they run over a cat fail to report the accident to the owner or police.
The bill was passed into law at the Jersey’s States Assembly on Tuesday, following a debate that came in response to an online petition.
A proposition was brought forward by Deputy Jeremy Maçon on behalf of the Equal Rights for Cats Group in 2019. The group’s online petition gained over 5,000 signatures.
The change to the Road Traffic Law mean drivers will require the driver to either inform the owner of the cat, the Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) or the police.
Failing to report that they have used their vehicle to hit a cat could result to a fine of up to £10,000.
‘It was been a pleasure to work alongside the Equal Rights for Cats Group and Jersey has been ground breaking in adopting these changes to the law which we know other jurisdictions have been following,’ Maçon said following the vote.
‘The changes to the law are grounded in animal welfare and if cats can receive medical treatment in time we all agree that more lives will be saved.’
The petition said on its page:
‘Certain animals involved in RTAs [Road Traffic Accidents] require the driver to inform the police; this doesn’t include cats.
‘Cats are free agents and are more likely to be victims to RTAs. We wish to see the law changed to reduce their suffering, by getting them to a vet quickly.’
