VIDEO : Humberside Police Receive Hundreds of Dash Cam Clips in January

Humberside Police have reported receiving hundreds of dashcam clips from the public in January as part of Operation Snap.

This initiative allows members of the public to report and submit digital footage of potential traffic offences via a secure online form.

Operation Snap is a secure online platform that enables the submission of video evidence of driving offences that members of the public have witnessed.

According to Humberside Police, the purpose of the service is to improve road safety and to prosecute those who put others at risk.

The online service is designed to deal effectively with footage recorded by the public in a safe and secure way, while making the investigation process simple and straightforward. Humberside Police have a "determined and robust approach to policing the roads" and will take every opportunity to make them safer.

Types of offenses that can be reported through Operation Snap include:

• Dangerous driving
• Driving without due care and attention
• Careless driving
• Using a mobile phone handheld whilst driving
• Not wearing a seat belt
• Ignoring a red traffic light
• Disregarding solid white lines
• Close passes of cyclists
• Driving on Zigzag lines (outside school or pedestrian crossing)

Humberside Police have said that they wish to support individuals choosing sustainable forms of transport such as cycling, and recognise they are one of the more vulnerable road users. They say they will hold drivers to account on every occasion where they identify that the standard of driving falls below that of a careful and competent driver. The police say they will also deal with matters of careless or dangerous riding if the identity of the rider is known. They assert that vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists are at much greater risk of serious injury and death than those in vehicles. Their priority is to protect those most vulnerable.

Operation Snap is not intended for reporting road traffic collisions, public order offenses, or other crimes. It is specifically for driving offences. If a member of the public needs to report a road rage incident, they should not use Operation Snap, and instead report it online or call 101, or 999 in an emergency. For other crimes, the public should contact the relevant authority, which is usually the police or local authority.

Humberside Police have made it clear that Operation Snap is not asking the public to go out and detect offences, but they will deal with any they find.

What happens after a report is made? Every Operation Snap submission will receive a response within 14 days. Humberside Police will provide a response as to whether further action will be taken. However, they are unable to specify what the outcome or action might have been, to comply with the Data Protection Act 1988 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Important things to consider before making a report:

• The member of the public must have read and understood the information about the Operation Snap service.
• They must be able to provide the registration number of the offending vehicle.
• They should be prepared to sign a witness statement and possibly give evidence in court.
• The police can only accept a statement for Operation Snap from persons aged 18 or over.
• If the person is under 18, they should report the incident online or by calling 101.
• Submissions should be uploaded as soon as possible.
• Police must usually serve a Notice of Intended Prosecution to the registered keeper of the vehicle within 14 days of the offence.
• The date and time of the footage should ideally be correct, though any discrepancies should be accounted for in the witness statement.
• The user must not upload footage to social media, as this may adversely affect any subsequent proceedings.
• Police cannot enhance recorded footage, and if a vehicle’s registration plate cannot be read in the original footage, the police are unlikely to be able to read it either.