Police save time convicting dangerous drivers using dash cam portal

The Nextbase National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP) has saved UK police forces more than 68,000 hours of processing time during its first year of operation, according to its creators.

It allows dash cam users to upload footage of serious road incidents to the relevant police force, which can result in a driving conviction for the guilty party.

Supt Mel Crowther from West Mercia Police said: “The National Dash Cam Safety Portal is a tool that can be used by all road users; drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders and motorcyclists. Any footage is permitted, and as a result we have seen a great amount of members of the public getting behind this system. As a force, we have been using this to deliver our own ‘Operation Snap’ initiative over the past year.

“The use of the NDCSP is a perfect example of modern police forces embracing new technology in order to help with internal time management. It ensures that our policing services are as accessible as possible, complementing the work already being done by police officers on our road network. Most importantly, it allows us to show that a dangerous driver’s behaviour can and will be held to account. I am confident that, with the help of other road users, this technology will deter people from making poor choices on the road and help make our roads safer for all.”

In the past year, almost 5,000 videos have been uploaded, equalling 68,474 hours of police time saved, or 9,700 days when compared to a police officer’s working hours of seven per day.

Around 50% of videos received are investigated. Of these, half have resulted in prosecutions, varying from out-of-court written warnings and points deducted to court cases and driving bans.

Video clips can be uploaded in any format from any device.

Richard Browning, director of Nextbase, added: “A year on from launch, the endorsement of the NDCSP from our police partners – both in terms of efficiency of processing and the success in prosecuting dangerous driving – is very rewarding. Our mission in building the platform was to remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads and it sounds like that is happening, slowly but surely. The three million Dash Cams on UK roads are a powerful tool that can be used to deter road users from putting others at risk, provided the forces have the means to deal with the footage. That’s now the case and we are confident the NDCSP continue to make our roads safer as more forces adopt the technology.”

The National Dash Cam Safety Portal is currently used by 22 police forces across the country.