Your footage can make roads safer

Crime Stoppers Victoria is encouraging Victorians to submit footage of drivers behaving badly on our roads, as part of a new campaign.

In collaboration with Victoria Police, Crime Stoppers has launched ‘You Never Know Who’s Watching’, taking the unusual step of releasing footage that would typically never be seen by the public.

The campaign comes in response to the increase in deaths on Victorian roads this year, with the road toll up 12 per cent in Victoria from this time last year.

“We are always protective of those who come to Crime Stoppers with information and have never released footage of this nature. We have taken this unusual step because we want to do what we can to prevent further road fatalities, and we know Victorians are concerned about safety on our roads.” Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive Stella Smith said

“It is important that drivers understand that they never know who’s watching and risk-taking behaviour can be recorded at any time, shared with Crime Stoppers and investigated by police.”

With more people installing dashcams and recording devices, Crime Stoppers encourages sharing of footage to their online platform, which can be done anonymously on a mobile phone or computer.

With the fatality rate up significantly on the five-year average, it’s more obvious now than ever – road safety affects all of us on the road.

Victoria Police Road Policing Superintendent John Fitzpatrick said that dashcam footage can be an incredibly powerful investigative tool and helps police to identify serious and reckless offending that poses the most serious risk on our roads.

“Whether it’s hooning, deliberately ignoring traffic signals or driving distracted, careless and reckless driving won’t be tolerated. These drivers show a clear disregard for not only their own safety, but for the safety of all road users,” Superintendent Fitzpatrick said.

“The penalties for careless and reckless driving are significant, with fines in the thousands, vehicle impoundment and even potential jail time. Even if police don’t catch you in the act, there’s every chance you’ll be captured on camera by another motorist.

“We are imploring everyone to think about their actions behind the wheel, and consider who might be watching.”

If you have video footage of reckless or careless driving, you can upload it at crimestoppersvic.com.au.