THE DOG’S RIGHT TO THE ROAD

Shannon News, 6 January 1928, Page 1

THE DOG’S RIGHT TO THE ROAD

MOTORING'S MINOR, DAN'GISRS. The doci.uon of Judge Macpherson in a case at Reddilch (Worcester) County Court—when a girl pillion passenger claimed damages for injuries received through a motor cycle colliding wiih a dog—that dogs are entitled to make free of the road, was the subj, ef of .much discussion among mo tori t.s recently. “This is one of the 'problems that is. always wiih us/’. said an official of the Automobile Association. “Dogs are a great danger to road users, and it is ossen.ial to use great care when pausing them. It has been long established that dogs have as much right to the road as human beings, and motorists must show as much cn ulion where dogs are concerned as ■iv.th children, “The greatest difficulty is when it is a question of swerving to avoid a dog and risking human life, or running into the dog. The dog’s instinct often enables it to avoid an accident, and the best thing for the motorist to do is to go straight on, and give the animal a chance.” “We gel a great number of letters from members on the subject,” said a member of the Royal Automobile Club’s legal department, “but there can be no claim against the owner of the dog unless it can be proved that the dog had some malicious propensity and the. owner knows of if. Cattle on the road are another source of trouble, and in this case, of course, a farmer has had the right of the highway from time immemorial. But he must not allow his cattle to stray.