Video doorbells may be helping to reduce one type of crime on our roads

Video doorbells could dramatically reduce one type of serious crime on our roads, according to some automotive experts.

Official figures show that the number of cases of this crime fell by about a third between 2021 and 2022.

This is believed to be a result of the increase in people having smart doorbells in their homes, dash cams in cars, and helmet cameras used by cyclists and motorcyclists.

The serious traffic violations in question are drivers fleeing the scene of an accident.

This usually happens after collisions when police and emergency services are on scene to save lives.

But they’re also common in more minor incidents, including minor prangs and clipping wing mirrors.

The serious traffic violations in question are drivers fleeing the scene of an accident. This usually happens after collisions when the police and emergency services are quickly on the scene

Select Car Leasing believes smart doorbells deter people from fleeing the scene, especially on residential streets where they may have clipped another vehicle and left no note

New statistics from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show rates fell by a third last year after rising as the country began to emerge from Covid lockdowns in 2021.

And experts at Select Car Leasing – who noted the decline – believe this is due to the growing popularity of video doorbells, such as Ring, as well as an increase in the use of dash cams in the car.

A ‘fail to stop after an accident’ penalty, or AC10, will be imposed if you ignore a legal obligation to stay on site and provide your details to anyone who has reasonable grounds to ask.

While there is an AC20 offense – ‘failing to give details or to report an accident within 24 hours’ – when someone who has not stopped at the scene and does not report the incident to a police station within the allotted time.

Both carry penalties of up to 10 points, an unlimited fine and even six months in prison. People can be convicted of both offenses for the same offense.

Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, said: ‘These figures provide real insight into how driver behavior is changing as a result of the emergence of new technology.

“A few years ago people were much more likely to drive away after reversing into another vehicle or hitting a wing mirror because there was much less chance they would have been caught on camera.

“Smartphones were already ubiquitous, so we think the deterrent effect is due to the emergence of so-called smart doorbells that capture video footage outdoors.

So be warned: if you do get caught up in a little prank, it’s much better to leave a note and take responsibility rather than disappearing from the scene and getting up to 10 points on your driver’s license and a hefty to risk a fine.’

The leasing company believes the increasing use of video recording technology – such as video doorbells, dash cams (pictured) and bike helmet cameras – is forcing people to be more honest about causing collisions and damage on the road

The DVLA figures show that the number of AC10 violations has fallen from 3,877 in 2021 to 2,625 in 2022 – a decrease of 32 percent.

Meanwhile, AC20 violations fell from 1,986 to 1,282 (35%) over the same period.

London recorded the highest numbers from 2019 to early 2023, with 802 AC10 offenses and 434 AC20s.

But if you look outside the English capital, there are some interesting findings.

Glasgow was next highest for both offenses – with 426 AC10 and 287 AC20 offenses over the four-year period.

In the ‘no stopping after an accident’ ranking, the Midlands – Birmingham (204) and Nottingham (196) – were highly regarded, as was the north of England, with Manchester (182), Liverpool (176) and Leeds (158). gift.

The Scottish cities of Edinburgh (123) and Aberdeen (153), plus Bristol in the southwest of the city center (189), made up the top 10.

East Midlands enclaves Northampton and Leicester made their way into the top 10 for AC20 offenses.

“Another interesting fact that comes out in the numbers is the distribution between men and women for these types of traffic violations,” adds Conway.

“Male drivers are about four times more likely to be caught, with an average of 79 percent of combined offenses being committed by men.”

Last year it was estimated that 20 per cent of UK homes now have a video doorbell.