Rise in Brits importing proof of harmful driving caught on digicam
- Road users have uploaded 24,000 clips of dangerous driving to a portal this year
- It is on course to receive a 31% increase in submissions in 2024
- Police in England and Wales can use this as evidence for enforcement
Motorists are increasingly taking advantage of a system that allows them to squeal on other road users who they believe are driving dangerously.
The National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP), launched in 2018, provides a direct avenue for motorists and cyclists to upload footage of illegal driving captured on their car dash cams and helmet cameras – with the evidence submitted directly to police forces.
Some 135,000 video clips have been provided to the portal as evidence in the first five years of it being set up – and in seven in ten instances has successfully resulted in punishment for perpetrators caught on film.
This year has seen a spike in use of the portal, with annual uploads expected to rise by 31 per cent in 2024.
Called out: There’s been a dramatic rise in the number of road users this year submitting evidence to police showing dangerous driving, according to a new report
The NDSCP was created by British dash cam manufacturer Nextbase six years ago in response to the decline in police officer numbers in Britain, including reduced traffic patrols identifying illegal activity.
Almost all police forces in England and Wales have signed up to utilise the database, with some receiving more footage than others.
The portal provides a straightforward way for the public to submit evidence of dangerous driving to forces which has been captured on their private cameras.
This can quickly be scrutinised by police and used to successfully catch offenders without needing to witness the illegal driving first hand.
Already this year, some 24,000 videos have been processed via the portal.
The top five regions receiving the most submissions are the West Midlands, West Murcia, Northumberland, Surrey and South Yorkshire, Nextbase revealed.
These five areas alone have already received over 18,000 videos supporting individual cases in 2024 – more than the total number uploaded across the UK in the whole of 2021.
The database has a simple upload system that lets users send footage to the correct police force, along with a brief description of the event captured on camera.
They can also include additional photos and a complete a supporting online questionnaire, which takes around 15 minutes.
Footage and the details supplied can then be used as a witness statement if police proceed with punishing the offender, meaning officers do not need to spend time compiling evidence.
The footage can be used to report a multitude of offences, including dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention, contravening solid white lines, mobile phone use, improper control of a vehicle and contravening red traffic lights.
It cannot be used to enforce speeding, though.
Rise in reports: Already this year some 24,000 videos have been processed from the portal’s uploads, up around a third on the volume of submissions made in 2023
Five years since its launch, the NDCSP, in partnership with Egress – the Government-tier security data hosting specialist responsible for developing and delivering the platform’s technology – has processed over 135,000 dangerous driving clips, which is estimated to have saved 123 years of police time.
And in 70 per cent of instances uploaded, the evidence has resulted in some form of punishable action for those caught on camera, ranging from warning letters to driving convictions and bans.
Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said that dash cams were originally launched to help drivers protect themselves in insurance claims, but are now becoming an effective tool to ‘help get dangerous drivers off the road’.
Speaking about the success of the portal, Brooker added: ‘It is perhaps not surprising given so many drivers are taking unnecessary risks in driving while texting, trying to eat a sandwich or some other distraction.
‘With more than 135,000 uploads to the portal and another sharp increase in usage this year, the need for technological solutions to improve road safety is clear.
‘We are pleased to see that almost all forces across England and Wales now accept video evidence in this way, making it easier to take dangerous drivers off the road, something that has undoubtedly saved lives.’
