Warning to Drivers as 39 Fined Daily by Public Submissions
West Midlands Police reports 39 drivers fined daily due to public video submissions, highlighting a rise in road safety efforts.
Birmingham, UK, West Midlands Police, Driving Offences, Operation Snap
Birmingham: So, it turns out that West Midlands Police is really cracking down on bad driving. They’ve revealed that 39 drivers are getting fined every single day, all thanks to videos sent in by the public. This has been part of a year-long operation encouraging folks to share footage of reckless driving.
From January to November 2024, they handed out nearly 6,000 fines. That’s about 19 drivers a day! If you’re caught, you could be looking at a fine of up to £200. Ouch!
Since they kicked off Operation Snap, the number of videos sent in has shot up by 70%. In just 11 months, over 13,500 videos were submitted, which averages out to 39 a day. That’s a lot of eyes on the road!
The most common offences? Driving without care, using a phone, and running red lights. Out of those fines, more than 2,000 drivers had to take awareness courses, and 571 even had to go to court. Yikes!
In 2024 alone, 4,524 people sent in videos. One person was super active, sending in a whopping 539 clips! Every video, whether from a dash cam or a phone, gets checked by trained officers. If they spot an offence, the driver could face prosecution or be told to take a course.
Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said that stopping reckless driving is a top priority. He’s urging anyone with footage to share it with the police to help keep our roads safer.