Staggering dashcam footage reveals reckless drivers on Britain’s roads as 1000’s are caught in marketing campaign
Shocking dashcam clips have laid bare bad driving on Britain’s roads with footage revealing from death-defying overtakes to jaw-dropping loads barely held together.
The newly released footage forms part of West Yorkshire Police‘s Operation Snap, a scheme that allows members of the public to report dangerous driving by uploading dashcam video directly to officers.
The submissions are then reviewed to determine whether an offence has been committed and if enforcement action can be taken.
The results have been stark. Over the past year alone, more than 7,200 motorists were fined after being reported by fellow road users, underlining just how widespread careless and reckless driving has become.
In one instance, a flatbed truck was filmed carrying what appeared to be a horse box stacked on top of a smashed-up van, crudely strapped together.
The driver was hit with a £510 fine, ordered to pay costs and handed three penalty points.
In another video, a grey SEAT is seen overtaking a vehicle before driving straight towards a junction on the wrong side of the road and crossing without stopping.
That manoeuvre earned the motorist a £519 fine plus costs and five points on their licence.
In one instance, a flatbed van was filmed carrying what appeared to be a horse box stacked on top of a smashed-up van, crudely strapped together
A grey SEAT is seen overtaking before driving straight towards a junction on the wrong side of the road and crossing without stopping
A third video shows two people horse riding along a country lane as a white BMW drives past at speed.
Driving fast near horses is particularly dangerous because they are flight animals, easily startled by noise and sudden movement. The BMW driver was fined £100 and given three points.
The volume of public submissions is rising sharply with the last year alone seeing 11,096 clips sent in – a 12.3 per cent increase on the previous year – with action taken in 65.7 per cent of cases, equating to 7,295 drivers, according to North Yorkshire Police.
Police and road safety chiefs are now urging drivers to get involved, even suggesting dashcams as a Christmas gift, as part of a wider push by the region’s road safety partnership.
Paul Jeffrey, Head of Casualty Prevention and Police-led Prosecutions, West Yorkshire Police said: ‘Members of the public often feel frustrated when they witness bad driving, and Operation Snap empowers them to take action and help us to enforce the law.
‘Last year police officers on patrol in our communities issued 38,848 fixed penalty tickets for traffic offences, and safety cameras detected over 285,000 speed and red-light offences.
‘All of these measures are in place to help prevent collisions and the avoidable loss of life on our roads. By working together with the public via Op Snap, we aim to tackle poor driving and contribute towards achieving Vision Zero.’
Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership and the region’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: ‘West Yorkshire Vision Zero seeks to end road death and serious injury in the county by 2040.
‘Crucially, everyone has a role in that. We are extremely grateful for the public support for Op Snap. You are making a real difference.
‘We want to ensure that there is no place to hide for dangerous drivers, and every dash cam brings that closer.’
Police have also issued guidance to maximise the chances of action being taken.
Footage must be moving video rather than still images, clearly show the offending vehicle’s number plate, capture the full incident – ideally including one minute before and after – and be submitted as soon as possible, and no later than 10 days after the incident due to legal time limits.
