‘In the dog house’: Police issue warning after ‘pet detective’ camera catches driver cuddling dog
When traveling on the road, it is a standard safety precaution to have both hands gripping the steering wheel rather than the paws; but one driver was thrown into the “doghouse” for driving with one hand while cradling his pet.
Mobile AI-enabled cameras have been installed by police in Devon in a bid to catch people using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts.
However, a camera on the A361 in Barnstaple, now dubbed a “pet detective” by police, recently captured a photo of a driver holding the steering wheel with one hand and holding his dog.
Devon and Cornwall Police shared the photo on Facebook and warned motorists, insisting it was “no mean justice”.
They said: “This is simply not a safe thing to do. In fact, when our prosecution team saw this they took a case of collie lurcher and sent the registered warden notice of the intended prosecution for failing to properly control the vehicle.”
“You may think this is brutal justice or that we are pursuing innocent drivers, but you would be barking up the wrong tree. There is a very good reason why this driver is in the doghouse. Not only is control of the car compromised, but the dog could react unexpectedly at any moment, potentially resulting in a collision.”
Power added: “When you’re in your Land Rover, leave the Rover behind with a proper seatbelt. If you’re driving your Ferrari, keep your fur baby safe. If you’ve got a Shih Tzu in your car, don’t drop yourself in it… so, you get the message.”
The Devon & Cornwall road safety team said: Independent He cannot comment on the photo because the investigation is ongoing.
But a spokesperson said: “For AI, the camera uses AI to determine what it believes is a crime and records the footage as a potential crime.
“The footage is then subjected to further review to confirm whether a crime has been committed. Once a human operator is satisfied, a notification of intended prosecution will be sent if and only if there is sufficient evidence in the footage to indicate that a crime has been committed.”
Analysis by the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that 40 per cent of backseat passengers killed in car crashes in the five-year period ending in 2023 were not wearing seatbelts, according to the RAC.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of UK drivers say illegal mobile phone use is their biggest motoring concern, according to a 2023 RAC survey. The RAC adds that official data shows 15,300 drivers were prosecuted for using phones in the UK that year.
