BUCHAREST: Stray dogs crossing at crosswalks are being used by the Romanian traffic police in a new safety campaign to convince pedestrians to be more careful. “If they can do it, then everyone can do it — cross on pedestrian crossings!,” says the short TV spot while showing several stray dogs using zebra and pelican crossings.

The dogs were filmed in several Romanian cities. “They send us an extraordinary message showing that animals can respect important safety rules,” Lucian Dinita, Romania’s traffic police chief, told AFP.

The example of stray dogs could prove crucial in a country where 360 people died last year because of “pedestrian lack of discipline,” according to the police.