Thousands of drivers have been caught breaking major driving laws across the southwest last year through public video submissions.
Operation Snap, launched by Devon and Cornwall Police received a record 6,272 submissions in 2024, bringing the total number to over 20,600 since the scheme's launch in 2019.
The initiative, which forms part of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, allows members of the public to submit video evidence of dangerous driving through an online portal.
The footage has led to various penalties for offending motorists, ranging from driver education courses to penalty points, fines and disqualifications.
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The scheme has become an essential tool for law enforcement, enabling police to take action against dangerous drivers even when officers are not present at the scene.
The footage captured a wide range of serious driving offences across the region. Among the dangerous incidents recorded were vehicles being driven the wrong way up busy dual carriageways and cases of dangerous overtaking.
Under UK law this can be punishable with a £100 and three penalty point on a licence. Other violations included insecure loads falling into the path of other motorists, creating hazardous conditions on the roads.
The submitted videos also showed several near-misses involving pedestrians and cyclists experiencing close passes from vehicles.
In one notable incident, a driver was recorded driving up a grass bank on a dual carriageway.
Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police's Head of Road Safety said: “Police officers cannot be everywhere, so the public's help is vital when it comes to keeping our roads safe.
"Everyone will have witnessed driving or riding on our roads that falls far short of an acceptable standard and quite often this behaviour puts people's lives at risk. This is just not acceptable."
He warned that with the increasing prevalence of dashcams, helmet cameras, mobile phones and video doorbells, poor driving is more likely than ever to be caught on camera. "It's just not worth the risk," he added.
Meanwhile Alison Hernandez, Police & Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall thanked everyone who has taken the time to submit video footage to Op Snap.
The Commissioner noted that while high submission numbers show public engagement, the ultimate goal is to see fewer submissions as driving standards improve.
The initiative's importance was highlighted by shocking statistics from 2023, when 48 people were killed and 702 were seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall's roads.
In a bid to crackdown on the number of incidents, Vision Zero members have committed to an ambitious target of reducing fatal and serious road collisions by 50 per cent by 2030.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Taking to social media, a person who submitted footage shared: “I was road cycling yesterday with two friends along Lytchett Minster. There was NOTHING coming the other way, but a motorist punishment passed me, hooting his horn.
“I didn’t wobble but I easily could have and could have fallen in front of him. I wonder how he’d be feeling now if he’d killed me with two witnesses to say how aggressive he was being… Ban them, ban them, ban them.”
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Operation Snap, launched by Devon and Cornwall Police received a record 6,272 submissions in 2024, bringing the total number to over 20,600 since the scheme's launch in 2019.
The initiative, which forms part of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, allows members of the public to submit video evidence of dangerous driving through an online portal.
The footage has led to various penalties for offending motorists, ranging from driver education courses to penalty points, fines and disqualifications.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
The scheme has become an essential tool for law enforcement, enabling police to take action against dangerous drivers even when officers are not present at the scene.
The footage captured a wide range of serious driving offences across the region. Among the dangerous incidents recorded were vehicles being driven the wrong way up busy dual carriageways and cases of dangerous overtaking.
Under UK law this can be punishable with a £100 and three penalty point on a licence. Other violations included insecure loads falling into the path of other motorists, creating hazardous conditions on the roads.
The submitted videos also showed several near-misses involving pedestrians and cyclists experiencing close passes from vehicles.
In one notable incident, a driver was recorded driving up a grass bank on a dual carriageway.
Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police's Head of Road Safety said: “Police officers cannot be everywhere, so the public's help is vital when it comes to keeping our roads safe.
"Everyone will have witnessed driving or riding on our roads that falls far short of an acceptable standard and quite often this behaviour puts people's lives at risk. This is just not acceptable."
He warned that with the increasing prevalence of dashcams, helmet cameras, mobile phones and video doorbells, poor driving is more likely than ever to be caught on camera. "It's just not worth the risk," he added.
Meanwhile Alison Hernandez, Police & Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall thanked everyone who has taken the time to submit video footage to Op Snap.
The Commissioner noted that while high submission numbers show public engagement, the ultimate goal is to see fewer submissions as driving standards improve.
The initiative's importance was highlighted by shocking statistics from 2023, when 48 people were killed and 702 were seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall's roads.
In a bid to crackdown on the number of incidents, Vision Zero members have committed to an ambitious target of reducing fatal and serious road collisions by 50 per cent by 2030.
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Taking to social media, a person who submitted footage shared: “I was road cycling yesterday with two friends along Lytchett Minster. There was NOTHING coming the other way, but a motorist punishment passed me, hooting his horn.
“I didn’t wobble but I easily could have and could have fallen in front of him. I wonder how he’d be feeling now if he’d killed me with two witnesses to say how aggressive he was being… Ban them, ban them, ban them.”
Find Out More...