UK launches national dashcam database for snitching on bad drivers

Drivers in England and Wales now have a direct line to police for ratting on their fellow motorists, thanks to a new national dash cam database.

The National Dash Cam Safety Portal, run by UK dashcam manufacturer Nextbase, lets drivers upload footage from their dashcam to a single database and send it directly to police, the BBC reports.

Drivers can choose their region of England or Wales and send footage of accidents or illegal behaviour on the road directly to local police, as well as sending a witness statement that can then be used in court.

"While the benefits to motorists of this groundbreaking portal are clear, this convenience extends to police forces," Superintendent Paul Moxley, of West Mercia Police, told the BBC. "A process which previously took hours can now be reduced to a matter of minutes."

While dashcams were once a gadget for professional drivers (and Russian motorists wanting to go viral online), they're quickly gaining popularity as a means for drivers to record their activity on the road and access instant evidence of incidents for police and insurance firms.