Dashcams

Drivers are being urged to behave as they are always on camera as new figures reveal 89 dashcam videos are sent to police every day by motorists.

In total, 32,370 pieces of footage were received by 24 police forces that accept video evidence of driving offences from members of the public, a rise of 100% year-on-year. The analysis of 2019 data showed that one-in-four submissions resulted in a prosecution.

Police forces are adapting to the widespread use of dashcams by making it easy for drivers to submit footage of other motorists who they suspect of breaking the law, particularly when it comes to dangerous driving.

Other footage includes careless driving, driving too close to cyclists, running red traffic lights, overtaking on double white lines, ignoring ‘no entry’ signs and illegal use of a handheld mobile phone.

Simon Williams, a road safety expert with the RAC, which carried out the research, said:

“The advent of dashcams, phones with cameras and helmet cameras have been a game changer as drivers can now easily submit footage to almost every police force.

With more people getting dashcams, the message for 2021 has to be ‘always drive as if you are being watched by the police’. If more drivers who are inclined to break the laws of the road were to think this way, the safer the roads would be for all of us.”

The trend puts the pressure on fleet managers to ensure that drivers are using company vehicles carefully and safely while out on the road.

Reflex Vehicle Hire provides a wealth of support through the Driive with Reflex modular risk management service, which includes vehicle tracking that can provide instant feedback on how vehicles are used, including incident alerts.

The service also includes dashcams that can be external or driver facing, which can be used as part of training in the event of incidents, or to protect drivers from spurious claims from other road users.

Lisa Spong, Sales Director of Reflex Vehicle Hire, said:

“The rising use of dashcams on the roads will put bad driving in the spotlight, but also emphasise the active role that company car and van drivers play in improving road safety.

The fleet industry has been a pioneering force in risk management; most company vehicle drivers benefit from extensive training and support programmes that make them the safest on the road today.”

For details on the technology that is available with Reflex Vehicle Hire cars and vans, visit our Telematics section or contact one of our expert team members.
 

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