UNSEEN EYES ON THE ROAD NEW CAMERA THREAT FOR WEST MIDLANDS DRIVERS

UNSEEN EYES ON THE ROAD: NEW CAMERA THREAT FOR WEST MIDLANDS DRIVERS

Drivers in the West Midlands are being warned to be on their best behaviour, as unseen eyes are watching their every move.

While traditional speed cameras are a familiar sight, a new wave of surveillance is emerging, and it’s coming from the vehicles around you.

Dashcam and mobile phone footage is being increasingly used by police to prosecute dangerous and speeding drivers.

The number of submissions to West Midlands Police’s Operation Snap has skyrocketed in recent years, as more and more motorists equip their vehicles with dashcams.

Previously it has been a challenge for the force to sift through all the footage sent in, but more staff have been hired in a bid to ensure they make as much use of it as possible.

They are encouraging anyone who has dashcam or mobile phone footage filmed by a passenger to send it in via the West Midlands Police website. The number of footage submissions to Operation Snap has soared from 207 in 2017 to 7,145 in 2023, and more than 13,524 already this year.

Tanya Johnson, who oversees Operation Snap, explained: “We know how frustrating it can be to see people driving in ways that puts other road users at risk, and Op Snap is a powerful response to that.”

While some may criticise the initiative as outsourcing police work, Johnson emphasised the public’s role in improving road safety.

“We can’t be everywhere all at the same time,” she said. “The response to our work has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s great that so many people are recognising that they can play their own part in making the roads safer.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster added: "I want the credit the essential work that is being undertaken to tackle dangerous and reckless driving, to keep our roads safe and reduce the number of people tragically and avoidably killed and seriously injured on our roads."

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