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With one in five vehicles now fitted with a dashboard camera, motorists are being warned to “drive like they’re being filmed” every time they get behind the wheel.
With many people now sending footage of motoring offences to the police every day, the chances of being reported for an offence captured on a dash cam are higher than ever.
The warning comes from dash cam video analysis experts at the not-for-profit organisation Road Safety Support, which regularly examines video footage for police forces for use in legal proceedings. It is timed to coincide with National Dash Cam Day, launched last year by dash cam manufacturer Nextbase, which takes place on Friday 5 August 2022.
Dash cam footage can be used to prosecute motorists for a range of offences, including speeding, dangerous or careless driving and driving while using a mobile phone. Dash cam footage has even been used as evidence in murder cases.
Steve Callaghan, technical expert at Road Safety Support and manager of its ‘ISO 17025 Speed Calibration Laboratory’, said: “The police can’t be on every road, 24-7, but the public can. With so many dash cams in use, and with the rise in cyclists wearing headcams, there really is a strong likelihood that road users will be filmed at some point on every journey they make.
“In road casualty reduction terms, a dash cam really is a powerful tool, creating a strong deterrence against motoring offences. These days, the chances of being filmed by a dash cam are high, so offences like speeding and using your mobile phone at the wheel really aren’t worth the risk.”
This warning is backed up by figures released today by dash cam manufacturer Nextbase, which show that over 57,000 video clips of dangerous driving have been sent to its online National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP) since 2018. Of those, 70 per cent were used as evidence to punish offenders. Road users can also submit their footage directly to individual police forces, so this number is likely to be far greater.
Every day on UK roads, on average, five people die and more than 60 are seriously injured. RoadPeace, the national road victims’ charity, strongly supports the use of dash cams in the reduction of road deaths and injuries.
Sara Dowling, deputy CEO and director of operations at RoadPeace, said: “Road crashes shatter so many lives in an instant and cause immense suffering for victims, families, friends and communities. Dash cams now have such an important role to play in deterring road crime and in bringing offenders to justice. They act as a powerful deterrent against speeding and inappropriate and dangerous driving and they provide valuable resources to support overstretched traffic police.
“RoadPeace strongly supports the use of dash cams in helping to enforce traffic law and reduce road deaths and injuries.”
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