The invention relates to a device (1) and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle. The device (1) is operated by means of an analytical unit (3), such that the device (1), for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a image recording unit (2) and an analytical unit (3) for the image data transmitted from the image recording unit (3), is operated in a first operating mode while an acceleration threshold value is not determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3) and in a second operation mode while the acceleration threshold value is determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3).