Operation Snap

Operation Snap is a scheme that helps to keep our roads as safe as possible.

It lets you report possible driving offences you've seen on the roads, such as a vehicle not stopping at a red traffic light. To use Operation Snap, all you have to do is complete an online form telling us what you witnessed and upload any video evidence you have of the offence.

You also need to:

• make sure that your footage includes the vehicle’s full registration number, if it doesn't we won't be able to take any action
• be willing to attend court and give evidence if necessary, but please note that most offences are resolved without going to court

You can use Operation Snap to tell us about these sorts of driving offences: 

• dangerous driving
• driving without due care and attention
• careless driving
• using a mobile phone while driving
• not wearing a seatbelt
• failing to stop at a red traffic light
• crossing solid white lines
• offences where a driver is clearly not in proper control of a vehicle

Please be aware that your own driving will be reviewed when we look at the video footage you upload, so, for example, don't break the speed limit, or any other laws, to catch up with a speeding driver ahead of you. 

About your video footage

As well as showing the vehicle's full registration number, your video:

• must show the original footage with no editing, this means not adding things like voiceovers or written comments
• should ideally show two minutes before and after the incident, so that we can understand the context of the incident
• must show the actual driving offence you witnessed, for example, if you saw a vehicle going through a red traffic light, we need to be able to see the light was on red
• should show the correct date and time to match your written witness statement; if it doesn't you must tell us why in the online form
• must fit the maximum file size of 2,500MB
• must be one of the allowed file types including JPG, MOV, AVI and most file types used by smartphones, dashcam or digital cameras

After you've uploaded the video, don't delete it from your device, keep it secure or back it up in case we need it.

Social media

You must not put the video on social media as this might affect any future legal case. If you've already put it on social media, please take it down immediately.

CCTV

Even if you've seen a CCTV camera that you think might have captured the incident, it's better for you to take your own video. We can only collect CCTV footage in very serious road collision cases.

What happens after you’ve uploaded your report and video footage

An experienced officer will review your report and footage to decide if an offence has been committed. We'll then get in touch with the driver of the offending vehicle. 

Unfortunately, we won't be able to notify you after you've uploaded a video or tell you what happened about the incident. This is because we get a high number of submissions. Occasionally, we might need to get in touch with you for further information or because we need you to attend court. 

We won't need to take your device from you. We only need the video footage.

How we'll use your report and video footage

We'll store your report and video securely for a period of two years, or until any legal proceedings have been completed.

We'll treat all of the information you've given us in strict confidence. For more details about how we use personal data, see our privacy notice. 

We might use your footage for training or publicity purposes, but your anonymity will be protected at all times.

If you do need to go to court

It's very rare that driving offences end up in court. There are a number of other things that might happen first, for example, the offending driver may have to attend a driver improvement course or accept a fixed penalty notice. But if the incident you witnessed does go to court, you will be contacted by the investigating officer, who will support you through the process. 

If the case goes to court, the driver will be told your name, but not your address or any other personal details.

Time limits

You should upload your video footage as soon as you can. If a driving offence has been committed, we usually have to contact the offending driver within 10 days of the incident. But if more than 10 days have passed, do still upload your video as we might still be able to take action. 

Upload your footage

Report a driving offence through Operation Snap

Please note that Durham Constabulary are using NEXTBASE web-based software to manage and store this function. More information is available at National Dash Cam Safety Portal.