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Can I Use Dashcam Footage As Evidence?
09 Dec 2021
If you’ve been involved in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, how can you prove it?
A dash camera is a small device that records live footage, that can be purchased for between £20 and some models can be over £300. Many people use dash cams for insurance purposes in the event of an accident for the purpose of accountability.
ARE DASH CAMS LEGAL?
You don’t need any legal permission to use a dash cam, you can just purchase one plug it in, and go. You must make sure that the dash cam does not restrict your vision when driving as if it does you could be breaking the law.
CAN CYCLISTS USE A DASH CAM?
Cyclists can use cameras that are much like a dash cam as evidence in a road traffic accident. Cyclists can use action camera footage from a small camera that is often fixed to a cyclist’s helmet, bike or body.
CAN I USE DASH CAM FOOTAGE AS EVIDENCE IN A ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT?
Dash cam evidence can also be used as evidence in the event of a road traffic accident to determine liability allowing a claimant to make a claim for compensation if the accident was not your fault. In a road traffic accident dash cam footage can be used to:
- Prove that you were not at fault
- As evidence to show whose fault the accident was
These two factors will help you to make a successful claim for compensation in a road traffic accident.
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HOW DO I USE DASH CAM FOOTAGE AS EVIDENCE?
You can use the National Dash Cam Safety Portal to send footage directly to your local police force.
ARE DASH CAMS USEFUL?
Statistics from the Department for Transport reveal that there were an estimated 23,529 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties from road traffic accidents in 2020. The high number of road fatalities and injuries from road traffic accidents has led campaigners to call for dash cams to be made compulsory. The theory is that if more road users install dash cams then it will lead to a reduction in road traffic accidents. However, data from Whatcar shows that currently only around a quarter of the UK’s 32.7 million drivers now have a dash cam.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF DASH CAMS?
Dash cams can only be used as evidence if it shows details such as a number plate. Dash cam evidence can work in two ways; you can use it as evidence against someone else but it can also be used as evidence against you if you are at fault in a road traffic accident. Dash cams can also be expensive devices so are liable to acts of theft.