Over 7,000 reckless drivers caught on West Yorkshire roads thanks to vigilant locals’ dash cam footage

Vigilant local motorists armed with dash cams have helped police issue action against nearly 7,300 reckless drivers via the pioneering 'Op Snap' submission scheme.

With submissions rising to 11,096 clips over the past year - a 12 per cent increase from the previous year - West Yorkshire Police and the Vision Zero partnership are encouraging families to “give the gift of safer roads this Christmas” by considering a dash cam under the tree for their loved ones.

Paul Jeffrey, Head of Casualty Prevention and Police-led Prosecutions, West Yorkshire Police, said: “Members of the public often feel frustrated when they witness bad driving, and Operation Snap empowers them to take action and help us to enforce the law.

“Last year, police officers on patrol in our communities issued 38,848 fixed penalty tickets for traffic offences, and safety cameras detected over 285,000 speed and red-light offences.

“All of these measures are in place to help prevent collisions and the avoidable loss of life on our roads. By working together with the public via Op Snap, we aim to tackle poor driving and contribute towards achieving Vision Zero.”

Over the last year, Op Snap submissions have allowed police to take action in 65.7 per cent of cases, targeting a total of 7,295 offenders.

Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership and the region’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “West Yorkshire Vision Zero seeks to end road death and serious injury in the county by 2040. Crucially, everyone has a role in that.

“We are extremely grateful for the public support for Op Snap. You are making a real difference.

“We want to ensure that there is no place to hide for dangerous drivers, and every dash cam brings that closer.”

How to use Op Snap

Op Snap is a police initiative allowing members of the public to submit video footage of dangerous or anti-social driving to police for review and potential action.

To ensure the best outcome for your submission, follow these guidelines:

• Video only: Footage must be moving video; photographs cannot be used.
• Clear ID: The offending vehicle's number plate must be clearly visible.
• Full incident: The footage should include the whole incident, and wherever possible, include one minute prior to and one minute after the alleged offence.
• Timely report: The incident should be reported as soon as possible and no later than 10 days after it occurred, due to certain time limits in legislation.

Find out more about Op Snap: westyorkshire.police.uk/SaferRoadsSubmissions