The long list of measures in favor of our four-legged friends continues, including rules regarding conduct on the road. In 2011, in fact, the Highway Code was updated with a fundamental provision requiring anyone who causes an accident involving a dog or cat to provide assistance.
The legislation in question is Article 189, concerning “Conduct in the Event of an Accident”, which has been revised several times over the years. In particular, the most important amendment concerning animals was introduced in 2010—therefore several years ago—with the addition of paragraph 9-bis, which states: “in the event of an accident in any way attributable to their conduct, resulting in harm to one or more companion, farm or protected animals, road users are required to stop and take every appropriate measure to ensure prompt rescue for the animals that have suffered the harm. Anyone who fails to comply with the obligations set out in the preceding sentence is subject to an administrative fine ranging from 410 euros to 1,643 euros.”.
But that is not all. The regulation includes not only the person directly responsible for the accident, but also all people potentially involved. Specifically, it states that “[…] people involved in an accident causing harm to one or more companion, farm or protected animals must take every appropriate measure to ensure prompt first aid.”. In this case too, the penalty is a fine ranging from 82 to 328 euros.
However, the provision included in the Highway Code remains unchanged: it prohibits car drivers from stopping on the motorway to assist animals that have been hit or abandoned. Such an action could endanger their own safety and that of other drivers. In these cases, we can call 112 and report the emergency to the Highway Police, trying to provide a precise reference for the location of the accident or sighting. You can find more information by reading the specific article on what to do when you find an injured animal or an abandoned one.
Another amendment, also introduced in recent years, concerns Article 177, paragraph 1 of the Highway Code, which—just as applies to us—allows veterinary ambulances, animal protection officers and rescue vehicles used to recover animals to use sirens and flashing lights to facilitate operations.
Probably, especially considering that we are talking about a decree that is not particularly recent, not enough has yet been done to protect the many dogs and cats involved in tragic accidents every day, particularly along roads with higher traffic speeds. Although the law now protects animals, the number of people who fail to comply with the regulations currently in force in their favor remains very high, as we can see with our own eyes every day.
In any case, over the years, more and more regulations have evolved in favor of our four-legged friends, both with regard to measures against abuse and abandonment and, as in this case, the obligation to provide assistance in the event of an accident. At this point, therefore, all we can do is wait to add a few more pieces before we can speak of genuine animal protection.