Sumar proposes national protocol for pet safety in traffic accidents

The Sumar parliamentary group has submitted a non-legislative proposal to the Spanish Congress seeking the creation of a national protocol to protect pets during traffic accidents. The initiative calls for the government to establish a coordinated response involving the Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), the Civil Guard, local and regional police, emergency services, veterinary colleges, and animal protection entities.

A key component of the proposal is the formal recognition of pets in vehicles as ‘vulnerable users or transported occupants’ for statistical, preventive, and risk analysis purposes. Sumar aims to reform current road accident data collection to include specific details such as the number of animals present, their species, the restraint systems used, and the resulting injuries to the animals or damage caused to third parties.

Additionally, the group proposes developing a Spanish technical standard for the safe transport of pets through the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) and urges the government to work with the insurance sector to improve legal certainty regarding coverage for damages sustained during such incidents.