Police in Wales now use dash- and helmet-cam footage to prosecute dangerous drivers
Operation Snap asked drivers who captured an incident to share the video with police
A pilot scheme which saw public dashcam footage used in police investigations and as evidence in court looks set go nationwide.
Operation Snap was originally set up in North Wales last October. It has now linked up with the Go Safe partnership to operate across Wales, with forces across the UK and around the world also looking to implement similar procedures.
With the recent surge in motorists using dash- and helmet-cams, Operation Snap asked those who capture an incident to upload the video to a special website. Since October, the North Wales police force has dealt with 129 cases as a result of footage submitted, saving on average 12 hours per case.
Often, the dashcam evidence can be used to prove innocence instead of guilt, says Inspector Dave Cust, of North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit.
“There was a woman who went through a green light and hit a car. Two members of the public said she went through a red light and she was going too fast,” he explained.
“The camera proved differently. It’s proper, reliable evidence.”
The link-up with the Go Safe partnership will provide an easy method for drivers in Wales to upload the footage and describe the incident in detail.
The Go Safe network will ascertain in which police force's jurisdiction the incident took place and forward it to the relevant authority. It is then up to that police force to verify the evidence and decide whether a warning, fine or court summons is in order.
Sergeant Ian Price of Dyfed Powys Police told Auto Express: "This isn't a new concept, we've previously accepted dash cam footage as evidence, but what this does is save police hours when it comes to processing the footage."
