Lethal driving on Devon & Cornwall’s roads captured on camera

Dangerous overtaking, a lorry swerving over motorway lanes and a BMW doing donuts on a public road are among the incidents featured in a dashcam compilation issued by the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

Footage submitted to Devon and Cornwall Police’s Op Snap, also shows a van driving on a busy pavement, vehicles passing cyclists too closely and one driver jumping a red light.

The footage highlights several near-misses which could have resulted in collisions – but also illustrates the penalties received by the offenders, with dozens of penalty points and thousands of pounds worth of fines issued.

Op Snap, which allows the public to submit video evidence of road traffic offences directly to the police, continues to grow in Devon & Cornwall.

The most recent figures show there were 676 submissions to Op Snap in May 2024 – which is 150 more than May 2023. Last year Op Snap make history in Devon and Cornwall with more than 6,000 submissions – the busiest year in the operation’s history.

Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police’s Head of Road Safety, said: “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.

“But it’s not just dashcam footage you can submit – Op Snap can take action on video clips from virtually any device such as mobile phones, video doorbells, motorcycle, bicycle and helmet cameras.”

Mr Leisk stressed that the vast majority of road users in Devon & Cornwall are safe, respectful and considerate – but a small minority continue to pose significant risks to other road users.

He said: “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.

“We are so grateful to the hundreds of road users who submit footage every month, enabling us to hold this incredibly poor driving to account. You are literally saving lives in doing so.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, is vice-chair of the Vision Zero South West Road Safety Partnership.

Cllr Hughes said: “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.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has submitted footage to Op Snap and would encourage anyone who witnesses poor or dangerous driving to do similar. It will help keep our roads and residents safe.”