New figures from West Midlands Police has revealed that 39 drivers are being fined for driving offences a day thanks to video sent in by members of the public. An ongoing police operation over the past 12 months has encouraged members of the public to submit video clips for prosecution.
Between January and November 2024, a total of 5,919 fines were handed out to drivers, which works out to around 19 drivers a day on average. Drivers who are guilty of an offence can face up to £200 in fines.
Since the launch of Operation Snap, West Midlands Police saw a 70 per cent increase in the number of videos submitted across the 11-month period. A total of 13,543 videos were submitted between January and November, working out to 1,231 videos a month on average, or 39 drivers a day.
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The top reported offences were driving without due care and attention, using a mobile phone and running a red light. Of the 5,919 fines issued, more than 2,000 drivers were forced to attend driver awareness courses while 571 were summoned to appear in court due to driving offences.
There was a total of 4,524 motorists who submitted videos to West Midlands Police in 2024. The most active participant submitted 539 videos to the force.
Each piece of footage sent to the Op Snap team, whether captured on a dash cam, CCTV or a mobile phone held by a passenger, is reviewed by specially-trained officers. If an offence is identified, the driver can be prosecuted or told to take a driver improvement course.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “Putting an end to careless and reckless driving is one of my top priorities, and I know it’s something that matters to the people of the West Midlands. These dangerous drivers need to be held to account and face the consequences of their actions.
“The public can assist us in doing that, so I’d urge anyone who has recorded footage to share it with the police, help bring perpetrators to justice and ultimately reduce the number of people tragically and avoidably killed and seriously injured on our roads.”