Dashcam dangerous driving footage reaches record high

The number of video reports to UK police forces received via the National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP) is set to increase by almost a third (31%) in 2024.

Throughout 2024, there has been an increase in the number of videos submitted through the portal, with 24,000 submissions by the end of June.

However, reports of dangerous driving tend to spike over summer, with June 2023 taking the title of the most uploads in a single month, with May, and July also making the top five.

Year-to-date, the top five regions processing the most uploads were the West Midlands, West Mercia, Northumberland, Surrey and South Yorkshire.

These five regions have already received more than 18,000 submissions in 2024, more than the total number submitted across the UK in the whole of 2021.

Five years since its launch, the NDCSP, in partnership with Egress - a Government-tier security data hosting specialist, responsible for developing and delivering the platform’s technology – has processed more than 135,000 dangerous driving clips, saving an estimated 123 years of police time.

The platform, which was built to allow motorists to quickly and securely upload footage of dangerous driving to the relevant police force, now works with every police force in England. Nextbase is working to help it cover the whole of the UK in future.

Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: “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.”

Recent research also indicates that UK drivers are starting to see dashcams not just as a nice to have, but a must have, with 70% believing that all cars should be fitted with one.

When asked what made someone a “responsible” driver installing a dashcam was singled out by 41% of respondents.

This was a similar percentage to those who identified not driving for longer than four hours at a time (46%) and keeping a spare tyre and high vis kit in the car.

Separate research carried out for Nextbase recently highlighted why many drivers are now protecting themselves using dashcams, with as many as 11% of all drivers across a sample of nearly 10,000 drivers driving while distracted.

This was defined as any driver seen on their phone, eating or drinking or otherwise distracted at 40 busy London streets and junctions.

The National Dash Cam Safety Portal was set up by Nextbase as a simple way for the public to send videos of dangerous driving to the police for further action, with 70% of submissions resulting in further action.

These reports also often lead to other offences, such as stolen vehicles or driving without insurance being uncovered during the process.