One horsepower was enough to catch an SUV whose driver was allegedly distracted by a mobile device
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by Sebastien Bell
19 seconds ago
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by Sebastien Bell
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Across the UK, officers on horseback have been deployed in a fascinating new way. The mounted police are on the lookout for motorists who are on their mobile devices behind the wheel. And it has worked!
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary has released footage of a pair of mounted police officers in East Reach, Taunton, UK, spotting a silver SUV, clocking that the driver was allegedly using a cellphone, and making chase. The video then cuts to CCTV footage from a nearby building that shows the officers galloping after the vehicle.
Finally, the shot returns to the officer’s point of view, showing them confronting the driver, who has stopped on the side of the road. After telling him that he shouldn’t be using his phone, he replies, “No, no music. I have a problem.” The officer responds, though, that she can see that there is an ongoing phone call.
That may be why, according to The Guardian, police forces in the UK have turned to mounted police to tackle the issue of distracted driving. From their higher position, the officers have a better view into the vehicle, and what drivers are doing below their shoulders.
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The push to catch distracted drivers may only be coming into force now, because a rule was introduced in March 2022 making it illegal for UK drivers to use a handheld mobile phone, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data behind the wheel, or the handlebars.
Drivers caught breaking the new rule face a £200 ($243 USD at current exchange rates) fine and six points on their license. Avon and Somerset police report that there have been more than 4,500 fatal or injury-causing crashes in the region since the beginning of 2021, which may be behind the new drive to prevent distracted driving.
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