UK dash-cam app can report other drivers to police

A UK technology firm has created an app that turns smartphones into a dash-cam – with the ability to report other motorists to police at the touch of a button.

While the ability to turn your smartphone into a dash-cam isn't new, the developer has made it as easy as touching the screen to capture dangerous behaviour on the road.

According to a report from The Sun newspaper in the UK (and spotted by motoring website Carscoops), footage is recorded in 30-second increments to ensure the phone's storage isn't filled, with drivers able to send that footage to British police with a single touch.

The free app can submit footage of up to 21 different driving offences, which are uploaded directly to an official video portal managed by UK police.

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There's no word on whether the app will be made available for use in other countries, but in Australia police have been known to monitor social media websites for dash-cam footage of dangerous drivers.

In December 2017, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on a 39-year-old man who was charged by NSW Police with a number of offences after footage emerged online showing the driver overtaking dangerously in a Nissan R35 GT-R.

Police can also use dashcam or other video-recording devices against the owner – with a learner handed $75,000 in fines by NSW Highway Patrol in 2021 after the memory card from the motorcyclist's GoPro was seized during a traffic stop.