The incident occurred in mid-January on the A2 motorway near Dortmund. A Mercedes-Benz Actros truck was caught by a speed camera exceeding the limit by 6 km/h. While the speeding offence itself was minor, a manual review of the image revealed an additional issue: a cat sitting on the dashboard of the cab.
The animal was not secured in any way, which constitutes a breach of German road traffic regulations.
Unsecured “cargo”
German road traffic law does not contain specific provisions for animals. Instead, animals are treated in the same way as cargo, meaning they must be secured so that they cannot interfere with driving — even in the event of emergency braking.
This requirement is set out in Section 22 of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), which states:
“All loads must be secured in such a way that they cannot slip, tip over, roll around, fall off, or create avoidable noise, even during emergency braking or sudden evasive manoeuvres.”
In addition, Section 23 of the StVO provides that:
“Every driver is responsible for ensuring that their vision and hearing are not impaired by passengers, animals, cargo, equipment, or the condition of the vehicle.”
Failure to comply with these rules can result in the following penalties:
- €35 for insufficiently secured loads,
- €60 and one penalty point in Flensburg if the unsecured load poses a risk to others,
- €75 and one penalty point in Flensburg if it causes an accident.
In this case, the driver received two fines: €30 for speeding and €35 for carrying an unsecured animal. No penalty points were issued, and the matter was concluded with financial penalties only.
Pets on the road – what drivers should know
The Chief Veterinary Inspectorate reminds drivers that animals travelling within the EU, as well as Norway and Switzerland, must meet specific requirements.
Dogs, cats and ferrets must:
- be identified by a microchip (transponder) or by a clearly legible tattoo applied before 3 July 2011. Tattoos applied before that date remain valid for travel within the EU, provided the owner can prove when the tattoo was applied;
- be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination becomes valid 21 days after administration, while booster vaccinations are valid from the day they are given;
- have a valid veterinary passport confirming the rabies vaccination.
