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.

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.