New platform to ‘revolutionise’ road incident reports

Nextbase’s National Dash Cam Safety Portal is now available nationwide.

The new platform is designed to allow footage of dangerous driving captured on dash, bike and helmet cams to be uploaded directly to police forces across the country.

Incidents previously had to be reported to individual forces, with each of the 39 teams using different means and combinations of receiving and recording video evidence.

Richard Browning, director of Nextbase, said: “The surge in dash cam usage in recent years is beneficial to motorists looking to protect themselves in the event of incidents on the roads, but it has meant an increase in the amount of footage sent to police forces.

“Until now forces have not had the means to process this footage so the National Dash Cam Safety Portal has been developed with this in mind. The portal allows all road users to submit footage captured on devices, such as dash cams, which will enable the police to reduce such offences, ultimately making the roads safe for all users.”

The new portal guides users through the process of uploading footage and witness statements, taking in consideration various devices and video formats. If the police force in question has not yet been signed up to the platform, the system will deliver a reference code which can then be taken directly to the force for processing.

Superintendent Paul Moxley, of West Mercia Police, said: “While the benefits to motorists of this ground-breaking portal are clear, this convenience extends to police forces, since a process which previously took hours can now be reduced to a matter of minutes.

“The key in making this work for us has been determining a way of providing footage in an accessible format, whilst the creation of a witness statement is also integral to ensuring the process is as efficient as possible.

“In embracing this new technology, it enables the concerned road user to help us positively influence driver behaviour to make our roads a safer place for all users.”

Cycling UK and BRAKE have been quick to show their support for the new platform:

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK head of campaigns and advocacy: “Public cuts have led to road police numbers plummeting in recent years by nearly 50 per cent, whilst casualties have increased among all road users.

“Given that reduction in resources, it’s crucial that efficient and standardised online reporting systems are introduced to facilitate the submission of dash, bike and helmet-cam footage of irresponsible road use.

“Our police cannot be everywhere at once, but with Nextbase’s portal we have the next best thing – a one-stop shop for the collation of evidence our forces can rely upon. It can only lead to safer roads for everyone.”

BRAKE director of campaigns Joshua Harris: “This is a fantastic initiative which couldn’t be more timely.

“The increasing popularity of dash cams is a huge positive for road safety. However, with more drivers than ever seeking to report illegal behaviour the burden on the police has increased.

“This portal is an elegant solution which enables the police to process this vital data without wasting their scarce resources. We fully support this initiative and urge its swift adoption across the UK."

To submit a video, users can visit www.nextbase.com/dashcamportal