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Police are urging motorists and cyclists on North Wales roads to send in dash cam footage of driving offences so it can be used in prosecutions.

Operation Snap or #OpSnap is launched in response to the ever increasing submission of video and photographic evidence from people who have witnessed driving offences.

Officers are encouraging motorists to send their footage by completing a newly-devised online form.

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing said: “If you have footage from a dash cam, your pedal cycle cam or any other source that you feel supports you as a witness to an alleged motoring offence, we want to hear from you.

“ North Wales Police recognises that the vast majority of the public want to use the road network to get from A to B safely; and that they don’t wish to tolerate unnecessary risks that some are exposed to by the actions of others.

“Over recent months we have received footage capturing motoring offences including careless and dangerous driving, people on mobile telephones and people being distracted whilst using their smart devices behind the wheel.

“We also recognise that vulnerable road users – including cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders are now using cameras. We are seeing some awful very close passes and people pulling in and out of junctions putting cyclists in danger. We know that cyclists and horse riders come off worse when they are in collision with a car. Often the car driver has taken an unnecessary risk – or didn’t even see them.

“We will not tolerate this and wish to support all road users, including those who are most vulnerable, to have a safe journey.”

North Wales Police have developed a more streamlined back-office function to automate the process of accepting footage or photographs.

Operation Snap has the full support of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Justin Espie of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Good policing has always been reliant upon the support of the public, so any scheme that allows the public to submit quality evidence quickly and easily is worthy of support.

“The scheme takes advantage of the increased use and availability of dash cam footage, allowing the public to participate directly in improving road safety.

“For the most part, minor incidents will result in driver education courses. In more serious cases, video footage is often the best evidence available to help secure a conviction.”

Mr Wareing added: “We hope Operation Snap will make a difference on the roads and that people will feel safer and reassured by our efforts to tackle bad driving.

“This is all about making the roads safer for all. Nothing more, nothing less. Those who are prepared to risk their lives and the lives of others are not welcome on our roads.

“If those people know there is a much bigger chance of being prosecuted and risk losing their licence then maybe, just maybe, they’ll think twice about not making that call, not answering that text, not update their status or stick a “like” to a dancing kitten whilst driving.”

Once contact has been made with police instructions of how to upload any footage or photographs will be sent by email.

A Police Officer will then review the evidence and take a decision on any action that is appropriate.

But the Alliance of British Drivers said the scheme was a charter for "road vigilantes".

A spokesman said:”There are two ways of looking at this. If there is an actual offence being committed there is no reason a member of the public shouldn’t report it to the police.

“However, if it’s just someone’s personal opinion that they don’t like the way someone else is driving, it’s a different issue altogether – it’s just vigilantism. The police could be wasting a lot of time looking at videos sent in by the public.

“The use of cameras by cyclists, you tend to see a bit at the end, you don’t see the whole circumstances of what happened. It’s very difficult for anybody, looking at a video produced by a member of the public, to say ‘that’s unreasonable’ and an offence is being committed.

“Police will be wasting a lot of time on things that are trivia.”

The spokesman added :”Someone might report a motorist for driving at 35mph in a 30 zone. We wouldn’t support that sort of thing.”