Shocking Dashcam Footage Reveals Dangerous Driving in Devon and Cornwall

Increased Dashcam Submissions Capture Lethal Driving

Devon and Cornwall have seen a surge in dashcam submissions capturing dangerous driving incidents, as highlighted by a recent compilation video released by the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership. The footage, gathered through Devon and Cornwall Police’s Op Snap initiative, showcases a range of hazardous behaviours on the region’s roads.

Terrifying Near-Misses Caught on Camera

The dashcam compilation includes shocking incidents such as a lorry swerving across motorway lanes, a BMW performing donuts on a public road, and a van driving on a busy pavement. Other footage shows vehicles dangerously overtaking, passing cyclists too closely, and running red lights. These near-misses could have easily resulted in severe collisions.

Op Snap, which allows the public to submit video evidence of road traffic offences, has seen a significant increase in submissions. In May 2024, there were 676 submissions – 150 more than the same month in 2023. Last year, the operation received over 6,000 submissions, marking its busiest year yet.

Impact of Op Snap

Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police’s Head of Road Safety, emphasised the role of technology in catching dangerous drivers. “As more people install dashcams and submit their footage to Op Snap, drivers are realising that poor and dangerous driving is much more likely to be caught on camera and dealt with by the police,” he said. Leisk also pointed out that footage from various devices, including mobile phones and helmet cameras, can be submitted to Op Snap.

While acknowledging that the majority of road users are responsible, Adrian highlighted the risks posed by a small minority. “We really hope Operation Snap acts as a deterrent to this minority who think that they won’t be detected driving in an appalling manner. Many of these submissions could have so easily resulted in a serious collision with people never getting home to their loved ones,” he stated.

Vision Zero South West’s Commitment to Road Safety

Vision Zero South West, which leads the effort to reduce road casualties, is a coalition of various organisations committed to eliminating deaths and serious injuries on roads in the region. The partnership includes councils, fire and rescue services, police, NHS trusts, and other safety bodies.

Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management and vice-chair of the Vision Zero South West Road Safety Partnership, praised the public’s role in road safety. “We are collectively committed to reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall’s roads. Initiatives like Op Snap play a big part in this by helping us identify those who are not driving to the required standards,” Hughes said.

He urged anyone witnessing poor or dangerous driving to submit footage to Op Snap to help maintain road safety.

Funding for Safety Projects

Vision Zero South West funds a variety of road safety projects, including:

• A study on administering potentially life-saving TXA to road traffic collision victims
• Subsidised advanced training courses for young drivers and motorcyclists
• Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) for communities
• Speed detection equipment for Devon & Cornwall Police
• A trial of the Acusensus AI camera system for detecting seatbelt and mobile phone offences
• Road safety promotional vehicles like the Ford Focus RS
• Targeted road safety advertising and publicity campaigns
• Pedestrian training pilot projects
• Roadside warning signage for cyclists and motorcyclists

For more information or to submit footage to Op Snap, visit dc.police.uk/opsnap. Follow Vision Zero South West on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for updates on their road safety efforts.

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This news article sheds light on the critical work being done to enhance road safety in Devon and Cornwall and encourages the community’s involvement in making the roads safer for everyone.