ACT Police Issue 25 Fines After Receiving Dashcam Footage From the Public

A dashcam can be invaluable in the event of an automobile accident in which it may not be readily apparent who was at fault. New Africa/Shutterstock

Police in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have issued 25 fines after receiving dashcam footage from the public.

So far, police have received 132 online dangerous driving reports, and fined 25 people with traffic infringement notices.

Thirty-five drivers have received cautions or warnings, and police are still investigating six matters in the nation’s capital.

The offences include tailgating, mobile phone offences, careless driving, running a red light and failing to give way.

Acting Inspector Mark Richardson, officer in charge of road policing, said the dashcam footage meant the police had eyes “anywhere, anytime.”

“Gone are the days where police need to be right there to be able to fine drivers for offences they commit on our road,” he said in a statement.

“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.”

The ACT police broadened its online reporting ability in May to include dangerous driving. The public can upload digital images and videos of illegal driving behaviour onto the system.

Police Encourage More People to Come Forward

Mr. Richardson said that while police were happy to see so many people already using the online portal, they were disappointed to see the volume of “poor driving behaviour” every day.

“We would 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 reported to us,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Witnesses who complete the online form have to provide video or photographic evidence, and they may also need to provide a formal witness statement to police and attend court.

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

In Queensland, an online form allows the public to report hooning or traffic complaints.

“To assist the Queensland Police Service with its investigations, evidence is requested to be provided to the Axon Queensland Police Service Evidence Submission Portal,” the online form states.

Then-state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk encouraged the public to “dob in a hoon” in 2022.

“This is a world-first use of technology and will allow police to keep taking strong action against hooning,” she said on X at the time.

In Western Australia, the public can report hoon behaviour using a traffic complaint form, which includes photographs and video evidence. However, court attendance is required if police did not witness the incident.