Dash cameras have become valuable tools for drivers to take advantage of.
These small mounted cameras can be of great help during an accident, when dealing with insurance agencies, and especially when you get a traffic ticket you don’t believe you deserve. A dash cam is your second, unbiased pair of eyes.
So, as you equip your dash camera, it is essential to understand how it can help you in the eyes of the law.
How Dash Cam Footage Can Help Dispute Your Traffic Ticket
Dash cam footage provides impartial evidence of traffic violations. The footage allows the driver, law enforcement, and the courts to view their driving, the road conditions, and the incident at hand without any biased views or opinions.
The footage from a dash cam can be used to reinforce or dispute the driver’s actions. So, if you have recorded evidence of your driving at the time the ticket was issued, you may be able to use it to help dispute the ticket.
Dash Cam Footage Can Be Used If…
While you might have been recording your driving the whole time, the footage can only be used under certain circumstances. If you plan to use your footage in court to dispute your traffic ticket, ensure it meets the qualification requirements.
Relevance
Dash cam footage can only be used if it is relevant to the case at hand. It must directly correlate to the ticket you have been given.
Authenticity
The dash cam footage that you bring to court can not be tampered with in any way. It must be the raw footage taken from the camera with no editing.
Clear
If the footage is blurry, pixelated, or generally unclear, it cannot be used in court. The footage must be clear and decipherable.
Bringing Your Dash Cam Footage to Court
Dash cam footage can become extremely helpful if you get a ticket for common traffic law violations. If it is relevant, authentic, and clear, you can provide the footage to your attorney, who can then consider it and bring it to the courts to utilize as evidence. Many judges value video evidence since it can provide a clear view of what happened, regardless of whether anyone is in violation or not.
Dash cam footage can be ideal for…
Speeding: Some dash cams can record vehicle speed.
Running a Red Light or Stop Sign: A dash cam can show if there were reasons, such as adverse weather conditions or other circumstances, that caused the event.
Accidents: A dash cam can help determine if the other driver or road conditions were at play.
Improper Lane Change: Footage can help prove distance and timing.
Legal Considerations When Using Dash Cam Footage
Dash cam footage is a great tool to utilize, but it does come with a few legalities to consider.
Firstly, it is important to remember that Missouri is a one-party consent state. That means that you are within your legal rights to record someone else as long as one party, you, consents to it. So, if you were in an accident or pulled over by law enforcement, you are within your rights to record the events through your dash cam. Additionally, if your dash cam is video only with no audio, consent to record might not be as pertinent.
As stated above, altered dash cam video will be unusable in court. However, tampering with dash cam footage or editing it to misrepresent yourself in your case is entirely prohibited. The video will be under review, and any alterations will be identified, leading to the video being deemed inadmissible.
Lastly, your dash cam footage belongs to you. It is your property. However, if you bring the footage with you to court, the court might choose to subpoena the footage. If that is the case, then you are required to provide it.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Dash Cam Footage
If you have dash cam footage to utilize in your case, it is important to get the most out of it.
One of the first things you must do if you are given a traffic ticket is to obtain your dashcam footage immediately. If you wait too long, the footage may be deleted or overwritten, so ensure it is secured as soon as possible. After you obtain the footage, it is wise to create a backup of it, so if the original gets lost or damaged, you will not be out of luck.
Next, the most important way you can get the most out of your dash cam footage is by sharing it with your attorney. They can take the time to review it and determine the best way to utilize it in your case. During this time, it is important not to share the footage online or on social media. Since it could be used in a court case, you want to avoid complicating things.
Dash cam footage can be extremely valuable if you have been written a traffic ticket you do not think you deserve. If you have further questions or wish to dispute a traffic violation, please contact the team at Baldwin & Vernon.
