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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Bageshri Savyasachi

More than 20 drivers fined after dashcam videos dob them in to police

If you recently tailgated someone, didn't give way or stop at a red light, even without a traffic camera in sight, you could still be one of the drivers ACT Policing is investigating.

Police said they received 132 dangerous driving reports through their online reporting portal.

Since it was introduced in May, the portal has allowed community members and road users to upload photos and videos of illegal, dangerous and poor driver behaviour.

As a result, 25 drivers have been fined so far and will receive traffic infringement notices. Police have also issued warnings to 35 drivers and continue to investigate six matters.

Offences caught on dashcams included careless driving, using mobile phones while driving, running red lights, not giving way and tailgating.

'Eyes anywhere, anytime'

People's dashcam footage has given police the ability to have "eyes anywhere, anytime", officer in charge of road policing Acting Inspector Mark Richardson said.

"Gone are the days where police need to be right there to be able to fine drivers for offences they commit on our roads," he said.

"By using modern technology and public support to send in footage of driving offences they observe on our roads, police are now able to utilise this footage to ensure drivers are held to account at all times."

He said police were glad to see people were using the online portal but were disappointed because poor driving behaviour had been recorded on a daily basis.

Acting Inspector Mark Richardson said dashcam footage has given police the ability to have 'eyes anywhere, anytime'. Picture by Gary Ramage

"This serves as a reminder to those people who choose to put other drivers at risk through your actions, just because you can't see police in sight - it does not mean that we can't see you," Acting Inspector Richardson said.

"We would also once again encourage members of the public to come forward with this kind of dashcam footage. Police will continue to investigate all matters of dangerous driving that are reported to us."

To complete the online form, ACT Policing said people must be able to provide photo or video evidence of the driving offence they witnessed when requested.

"You may also be required to provide a formal witness statement to police and attend court as a witness to confirm the information provided in your witness statement," they said.

"Police will support witnesses through the court process, noting that many matters are dealt with by police without proceeding to court."

The public can visit ACT Policing's online services portal here.

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