Ensuring compliance with the rules is the task of the different security forces, although no one escapes that it is difficult for there to always be an agent in every corner or a radar on every road. It should also not be forgotten that, when behind the wheel, all drivers assume the responsibility of complying with existing regulations.
But the founders of DashcamUa believe that vigilance on the road needs to be strengthened. For this reason, they have created an application that turns the phone into a dashcam with which to record the violations of others and send that 30-second video directly to the police. The idea is that the complainant receives a part of the fine paid by the offender.
The creators of this application, which, according to Google Play, is running as a test in Ukraine, defend that it is a way to reduce the accident rate and "to detect car accidents with 99.9% accuracy."
“The main idea of our start-up, and the whole product, actually, is to reduce the number of deaths on the roads,” explains DashcamUa founder Oleksiy Afonin to MCN, who assures that “it is not about punishing people”, but to change the psychology of drivers.
The anonymity of whistleblowers is a controversial issue, but the creators of this platform ensure that it is guaranteed. “All videos received on our server are sent to the police on behalf of the DashcamUa NGO. As we trust the security of our system (it is not possible to falsify videos, data or substitute other information), we assume the responsibility of sending requests to the regional police stations according to the geolocation of the infraction”, they specify on their website.
The boosters claim that drivers would have additional motivation to follow traffic rules and “insurance companies have an opportunity to make their business more profitable” by actually monitoring what happens in each incident.
DashcamUa also has other features, such as an option to streamline bureaucratic procedures: “We have prepared a simple and fast way to submit the insurance report so that cars involved in a minor accident do not generate traffic jams and do not remain on the roads during hours".
DashcamUa can only be used in Ukraine, although its creators want it to reach other countries like the United Kingdom, under the name of DashcamUK. At the moment, the initiative does not have the support of the British authorities.
According to MCN, there are currently 21 traffic violations that DashcamUK says it can search for, but they don't fully match UK regulations. The most similar are running red lights, using a mobile phone while driving, running a red light, not giving priority to ambulance and fire vehicles, violations at a railway crossing, illegal overtaking and non-compliance with road signs. .
And another problem. UK police already use Operation Snap, a platform where road users can report and submit digital images showing possible traffic offenses via a secure online form.
