5 September 2024

WATCH: Dashcam footage catches 54 drivers running red lights

| Albert McKnight
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This ute was filmed driving through a red light and smashing into another car on 23 April 2024. Photo: ACT Policing.

If you’re going to drive through red traffic lights, you should know that you just might be caught on the dashcams of the cars behind you.

On Thursday (5 September), ACT Policing released a compilation video of drivers filmed performing the dangerous activity.

Police have already fined 54 drivers for failing to stop at red traffic lights across Canberra after they had been caught on the dashcams of other motorists.

In May, ACT Policing expanded its online reporting capability to include dangerous driving, providing the community with a new mechanism to report poor driver behaviour.

By Thursday, more than 360 online dangerous driving reports had been received, with 167 drivers issued traffic infringement notices, 66 drivers issued cautions or warnings, and six matters continuing to be investigated.

The most common offence reported was drivers not stopping at red lights.

In July, police shared an earlier dashcam compilation video of poor driver behaviour after 25 drivers were issued with fines over two months.

The Officer in Charge of Road Policing, Detective Inspector Mark Steel, said dashcam footage has provided police with the ability to have eyes anywhere. He urged drivers to carefully consider this when getting behind the wheel.

“While police are happy to see so many people are already using the online portal, we are very disappointed to see the volume of poor driving behaviour occurring daily,” he said.

“Over half of all collisions in the ACT occur at intersections. Drivers who don’t obey traffic lights and signs can end up with serious injuries or, in some cases, deceased.

“Accelerating at a yellow light instead of stopping because you are in a hurry to get home could end up with you never making it home again.”

READ ALSO What you gonna do when they come for you? ACT Policing releases video of hiding spot fails

Detective Inspector Steel said in the last financial year, police issued more than 400 infringements and cautions for ignoring red lights.

“While Road Policing officers will continue to be out and about in the community, we’re encouraging members of the public to come forward with this kind of dashcam footage,” he said.

If you capture dashcam or mobile phone footage of driving offences, you can report these via the online reporting portal.

This driver was caught driving through a red light while turning in front of other motorists. Photo: ACT Policing.

“You may also be required to provide a formal witness statement to police and attend court as a witness to confirm the information provided in your witness statement,” a police spokesperson said.

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

Driving offences include dangerous driving, road rage, careless driving, mobile phone, red light and seatbelt offences.

You can still report dangerous driving to Crime Stoppers, the police assistance line (131 444) or by attending a police station. In an emergency or life-threatening situation, call Triple Zero (000).

READ ALSO Police release CCTV of alleged arson at Gungahlin barber shop as they call for information

There have been six fatal crashes on the ACT’s roads so far this year.

Joshua Stewart, 19, died in January after the allegedly stolen vehicle he was travelling in was involved in a crash on the Barton Highway. A 14-year-old boy has been charged and is before the courts, while a teenage passenger in the car died months after the crash.

Tennis Canberra coach Alicia Celaya Jauregui was killed while riding her bike on Lady Denman Drive in March.

A flipped Toyota Camry was found in the middle of Adelaide Avenue in Yarralumla on 17 April, and a 15-year-old boy was transported to hospital where he later died. Another 15-year-old has been charged with manslaughter over the crash.

A 46-year-old male motorbike rider died after a single-vehicle crash on Brindabella Road on 21 April, and another was killed in a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Sulwood and Athllon drives on 23 May.

Also, a 47-year-old died after a motorcycle and a light truck crashed near the intersection of Southern Cross Drive and Beaurepaire Crescent in Holt on 18 June.

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HiddenDragon9:50 pm 10 Sep 24

The one way enthusiasm for the use of technology to increase compliance with the law in this town continues.

It’s only ever about compliance by private citizens – it’s never about officials (uniformed or otherwise and elected or otherwise) and some of the things they get up to when they think they’re not being watched, or that any watchers are powerless to do anything about what they see.

Deal genuinely with the latter and we will all be better off, and not just on the roads.

@HiddenDragon
Fair point.

I wonder if CM Barr was issued with an “after the fact” fine for this (https://the-riotact.com/i-was-following-instructions-chief-minister-apologises-for-parking-in-disabled-spot-at-private-event/776554) dusabled parking indiscretion

devils_advocate4:25 pm 10 Sep 24

How are they verifying the authenticity of the footage?

If the police believe it on reasonable grounds then it is up to the person to defend an infringement notice. However, I have heard that they first confront the supposed offender with the evidence. If so, there are probably admissions in many cases. Otherwise I suppose it would go to court or be dropped.

Adding, from the article:
“You may also be required to provide a formal witness statement to police and attend court as a witness to confirm the information provided in your witness statement”

They aren’t.
And with AI now generating video, I’m about to have some fun. Police cars really shouldn’t be doing massive burnouts on the special roundabout in Braddon. 🤣

The Police are to be applauded for this innovative use of technology. They should go further – those who submit footage that results in a conviction should receive a $50 gift voucher from the government, funded by the proceeds of the fine. Imagine how many more cameras there would be on the roads if people could recover the purchase of their dashcam and then profit every time they capture some selfish goose on the road. From what I see on Canberra roads, a lot of people could retire early.

Guess what it would mean for driver behaviour knowing that almost every car on the road is effectively a police car.

The bleeding hearts that think driving offences are petty should ask themselves if they’re happy for them and their loved ones to be smashed to bits on the road by some selfish ‘petty’ road offender.

Capital Retro8:34 pm 10 Sep 24

Says the person who wouldn’t know what satire is even if it ran over him.

Weirdly, there are people here who apparently believe that it is wrong to report civil or criminal offences committed in front of them. I wonder whether that extends to offences against their own property rather than risk to others?

While the topic here is summary offences, if the offence were indictable then it would be an offence not to aid police by reporting it. Red light runners have killed people.

Those comparing with fascist states should avoid complete fatuity by including consideration of the nature, social licence and ethical value of the law in question (contrary to the ‘Nuremburg defence’ or to coercive control).

@byline
Absolutely – the perfect confected outrage

Imagine my shock that you two authority cravers would be happy to live in a surveillance society. LOL

As usual, Ken M is unable to address facts let alone discover nuance.

@Ken M
Guess what, Rip Van Winkle? While you were alseep, we moved to a surveillance society – https://www.justice.act.gov.au/safer-communities/security-and-emergency-management/public-safety-closed-circuit-television-network

… but please, promise me that you will come back with further agitation of the bats in your belfry, when you are one of the ‘victims’ of this ‘dashcam surveillance’ … that will be priceless.

🤣
My point stands. You two, who seem to literally crave being subjugated, are happy to live in a surveillance society filled with people informing on each other. I bet both of you reported neighbours during covid for having a visitor.

@Ken M
“You two … are happy to live in a surveillance society filled with people informing on each other”
I can’t speak for byline, but personally, I can say absolutely. Sometimes morons have to be subjected to ‘citizen arrest’ because the police can’t be everywhere. Good on them. And the fact that it stirs up the bats on your belfy – well that’s just an added bonus.

Oh and no – didn’t have to report any neighbours during COVID because they are intelligent people who did the right thing.

You really haven’t a clue about others, Ken M, but you do so love your fantasies.

Are you some sort of ‘sovereign citizen’, that no law applies to you? Do you drive on the right? You say you claim tax deductions in accord with the law, meaning you pay the non-deductible portion in accord with the law. Pretty cravenly conformist. Extremists invariably fail on consistent logic and you are a self-admitted extremist so no surprises anywhere.

Capital Retro9:06 am 06 Sep 24

This is tantamount to invasion of privacy. I’m looking forward to seeing someone contest it in the courts.

@Capital Retro
You mean similar to all the times where CCTV footage, to support a criminal case, has been contested in court as ‘invasion of privacy’, CR?

Capital Retro2:24 pm 06 Sep 24

No, quite different from CCTV which is usually on private property. Have you ever been in a school playground or a gym and seen signs forbidding the use of video or photography?

Haven’t noticed too many red light runners or even public roads in gyms or school playgrounds. Have you?

A car is private property with a camera surveilling the road. In a public place you have no right to privacy. In any event, the information typically reported would be number plate and vehicle identification, not a close-up of the driver. Have a look at the sample videos.

@Capital Retro
Really – private property, CR?

Nope – https://www.justice.act.gov.au/safer-communities/security-and-emergency-management/public-safety-closed-circuit-television-network

As for your school playground / gym reference? How in any way is that relevant to dashcam footage (which does happen to be on privae property – a car)?

What a ridiculous statement Capital Retro. When in public, there is no privacy. Only an idiot would contest this in court.

Have not heard of anyone going to court for invasion of privacy over a speed or red light camera copping them so I can’t see this scenario being any different.

There are far too many clowns running red lights of late. If this changes their selfish attitude so be it.

So this is what we have turned into , Diba a dobbas wow I want to be a police man

shaun OConnor5:39 pm 05 Sep 24

All for road safety but the answer is not public dobbing. We are becoming a poor, lack-of-service fascist state!

Any member of the public placed at risk by dangerous driving has every right to report this. It is the responsibility of other road users to keep the roads safe for us all. It is childish to think dobbing in the public interest is a problem.

Give dashcam owners 25% of the money! New York City does it for idling and double parked vehicles, and is looking to expand the numbers of traffic offences it applies to.

So many people are concerned about low policing numbers, increasing lawlessness, recidivism, road toll spikes… so why not crowd-source enforcement, ping dangerous drivers, make us all safer, and provide a side-hustle for witnesses?

Imagine, every uber a patrol car, every dashcam a cop.

Because that’s what they did in some of the most oppressive regimes in history? Citizens informing on each other is what went on in the Soviet Union, Nazi Gremany, East Germany, China under Mao, North Korea etc etc.

We don’t need to emulate those places.

Exactly! And it terrifies me that individuals like A_Cog think it’s even slightly tolerable.

We are not emulating those countries. To say Australia is emulating countries like North Korea is the most stupid thing I’ve heard in a long time lmfao. Such a long bow to draw there mate. Get a grip. If this saves lives and improves road safety it’s worth it.

Yes, we are. We also appear to be using tge book 1984 as an instruction manual, rather than a cautionary tale.

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