Traffic Accident CCTV/Dashcam

Traffic accident CCTV/dashcam footage captures, as it occurred, ‘who’, ‘where’, and ‘in what manner’ an accident was caused.

It can play a decisive role in proving the following issues in particular.

If the dashcam footage of the accident scene is clearly recorded, a clear determination may be possible even without witness statements.

Because a dashcam continuously records the situation before and after an impact, it is used as very important evidence in determining negligence and in calculating the amount of damages.

① Check the vehicle dashcam memory immediately after the accident

The footage for the five to ten minutes before and after the time of the accident must be saved separately.

A dashcam may automatically save footage upon detecting an impact, but a manual backup may be necessary.

② Backing up the footage is recommended over keeping the memory card

Removing and keeping the memory card without consideration may risk damaging the footage, so a backup through a smartphone app or a dedicated program is safer.

③ When saving, keep both the original footage and a separate copy

Whether footage is an original may later be an important factor in a police investigation or when submitting it to a court.

External CCTV installed near the accident site, such as at shops, homes, public institutions, and bus stops, can also be very useful evidence.

Such footage is, in most cases, automatically deleted or overwritten within 7 to 30 days, so a prompt response is necessary.

① Before requesting footage, confirm the relevant building or manager information

Visit the nearby shop or the building management office directly, explain the time and location of the accident, and confirm whether footage remains.

② Send an official letter requesting preservation of the footage

If a personal request is refused, an official letter requesting preservation of the footage may be sent in the form of a certified mail (content-certified mail) under the name of an attorney or under one's own name.

③ Request cooperation from the police

If it is difficult to make the request directly, after the accident is reported, requesting the police officer in charge to secure the CCTV may allow a formal request to be made for investigative purposes.

An information disclosure request is a system under which a member of the public may request information held and managed by public institutions, such as state agencies, local governments, and police stations.

Using this system, one may formally request the CCTV footage recorded at the time of the traffic accident.

▶ Method of Request

If there is a person who witnessed the accident scene, obtain their contact information and obtain a statement on the circumstances of the accident as soon as possible.

The statement should be recorded in a specific and consistent manner, and it should include the time of the accident, the positions of the vehicles, their movements, and the signal status, in order to enhance its reliability.

Immediately after the accident, take photographs of the scene from every possible angle.

Carefully record the positions of the vehicles, the damaged areas, the road conditions, the status of traffic lights and traffic signs, the lane markings, and the tire marks on the road surface.

Organizing the surrounding environment (streetlights, buildings, guardrails, and the like), the weather at the time of the accident, and whether visibility was secured can also help in analyzing the cause of the accident.

Record the damaged areas of each vehicle in detail with photographs, and, where possible, request a damage analysis from a repair shop or an expert.

The location and form of the damage can be used to estimate the point of collision at the time of the accident, and this serves as an important basis for determining the ratio of negligence and for reconstructing the circumstances of the accident.