What is Extra Eyes?

Extra Eyes is the Safer Essex Roads Partnerships response to the ever-increasing submissions of video and photographic evidence from members of the public in relation to witnessed driving offences.

What offences are included in Extra Eyes?

Extra Eyes will investigate road traffic offences such as dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention, careless driving, using a mobile phone handheld, not wearing a seat belt, contravening a red traffic light and contravening solid white lines, however this is not an exhaustive list. We will not deal with: Parking, Obstructions, Abandoned Vehicles, No MOT, No Tax (can be reported at www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle) and no insurance.

What if I've been involved in a road rage incident?

If there has been a serious physical or verbal act of violence following a driving incident, then Extra Eyes should not be used. The incident should be reported to Essex Police on 101 or at www.essex.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report as more serious offences may have been committed. If the threat is happening now, call the police emergency line by dialling 999.

I cannot read the number plate of the offending vehicle in my video; can you enhance it?

No. Extra Eyes cannot enhance recorded footage, if you are unable to read the vehicle number plate from the original clip, then we are unlikely to be able to read it when we replay the footage.

Will my mobile phone or other recording device be taken from me?

No, the device you use to record the offence will not be taken from you.

What do I need to do with the original recording?

It will be your responsibility to ensure that the original footage is saved in its original format dependant on how it is stored on the device. This could be for example on the internal memory of the device or perhaps on an external storage medium such as an SD card.

So if I have to keep the memory card or device to one side will the police give me a new one?

No we do not replace memory cards or devices with like items. We do not supply media devices to facilitate submission of footage under any circumstances.

I've put my footage on social media, it's getting lots of likes and comments, can you to take a look please?

Please remove the footage from social media immediately. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advice is that your footage should not be in the public domain as this may adversely affect any subsequent proceedings.

Can't I just send you some screen shots from a video I have? They clearly show the offence I want to bring to your attention.

Only if the images clearly demonstrate the offence being committed. Dependent on the offence we may require the video footage of the whole incident. They may also need to see more of your journey so that they can understand the context of what happened.

Will I have to make a statement?

Yes. As part of the Criminal Justice process, and in order to allow the police to deal with the offender in an appropriate manner, you will be required to provide a statement. However, this can be completed online, and the majority of the statement will be completed as a result of you answering some simple pre-formatted questions.

Why do I have to be willing to go to court to give evidence?

On average only a very small percentage of all offences reported through Extra Eyes result in a court appearance. There are other disposal methods available such as attendance on a driver education course or the acceptance of a fixed penalty notice. The campaign may not be able to prosecute the offence without you being willing to attend court. If, however, on the very rare occasion the offence which you report does require a court appearance, then you will be fully supported through the process.

Will I be kept updated on the progress of my submission?

We will not have the capacity to feedback on every single submission, however we will publish performance data on a regular basis and a brief update on you submission can be found at: https://saferessexroads.org/extra-eyes-search/.

Will my own driving or the way in which I captured the footage be scrutinised?

You must be aware that when the police review the footage which you submit, they are duty bound to also review the manner of your driving and the manner in which the footage was obtained. For example, if you were exceeding the speed limit in order to catch up with an offending driver and then proceeded to film them with your mobile phone whilst driving, then the police will consider also taking proceedings against you.

What will happen to the driver?

There are a number of disposal methods available dependant on the nature of the offence. The driver could be offered a driver education course, they could receive a fixed penalty notice, they could receive a summons to attend court or we may decide we are unable to take any further action. The footage and statement will have been reviewed by an experienced investigator who will take all factors into consideration, including current CPS charging standards.

Do I need to have a date/time stamp on my video footage? If so, must this be exactly the right time?

Ideally the date and time should be correct. The video footage is used to support your written witness testimony. You must account for any discrepancies in date/time within your witness evidence presented to us. Your witness statement must clearly state what time/date the incident occurred.

I want you to see the footage but don't want to go to court. Can't you just deal with it?

We need your statement; we need to fully understand the situation and people have a right to have matters heard in a court of law. Please fill in the web form. We will be in touch if you are required to attend court and support you through the process.

How will the evidence I provide be used?

The evidence which you provide to Extra Eyes by way of the submission of digital media footage and a statement will be reviewed by an experienced investigator to firstly establish if an offence has been committed and to identify the specific offence. For cases recommended to proceed, staff from Extra Eyes will serve Notice of Intended Prosecution to the registered keeper of the vehicle requiring the identity of the driver.

Each case will be considered with reference to CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) charging standards, eligibility criteria and professional practice on options to deal with road traffic offenders. Police Investigators will direct the appropriate outcome, methods of disposal are to prosecute the case at court, offer a National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) driver educational course, or offer a fixed penalty (which could include both a fine and licence endorsement.) By using Extra Eyes, the user agrees to leave the question of prosecution or other disposal in the hands of the police.

Will the offending driver know who I am?

The offending driver will not be provided with your details. However, on the rare occasion that the offence which you have reported results in a court appearance, then at this stage the offending driver will become aware of your name but not your address or any other personal details.

Are there any time limits which I must adhere to?

The types of offences that Extra Eyes deal with generally have a 6-month time limit for prosecution. The police also have a strict legal obligation to inform the offending driver of the offence which they have committed and usually within 14 days of that incident. Please make sure your submissions are uploaded as soon as possible. Police can usually only continue with submissions that are received within 7 days of the incident.

What if I have footage of other offences not covered by Extra Eyes?

If you have footage of any other types of offences that are not road traffic related and covered by Extra Eyes, then it is suggested that you contact the relevant authority which generally tends to be the police or the local authority and provide them with the footage. Essex Police can be contacted via 101 or www.essex.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report.

How will my footage be stored?

The footage which you submit along with your statement will be stored securely on a cloud server.

How long will the footage be stored for?

All material associated with an offence or prosecution will be retained in line with the police force retention policies. If your submission is not progressed your footage and any associated files will be deleted.

You're asking the public to do the police's job here. Why can't you catch all these people breaking the law?

Essex Police has a determined and robust approach to policing the roads and will take every opportunity to make them safer for everyone. The Extra Eyes Campaign is not asking you to go out and detect offences for us, but we will deal with any you find in line with our current policies. The police work in partnership with local authorities, other police forces, and Highways England.

What about cyclists and close passes - will you deal with them?

Yes. Extra Eyes is designed to improve road safety and to prosecute those that place others at risk. We wish to support individuals choosing a sustainable form of transport such as cycling, and recognise they are one of our more vulnerable road user groups. We will hold drivers to account on every occasion it is identified that the standard of driving falls below that of a careful and competent driver.

What about the cyclists breaking the law? If you're going to process people for careless driving by putting cyclists at risk, what about the cyclists who ignore red lights and cause risk with their riding?

The Police will deal with all matters such as careless or dangerous riding if the identity of the rider is known. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists are at much greater risk of serious injury and death than those in vehicles. Our priority is to protect those most vulnerable.

If the police and everyone else is going to start taking action over all these people caught on camera, can the police cope?

Yes. It's easy for people to engage with Extra Eyes and processes have been designed to run smoothly. The campaign has one desired outcome: making our roads safer.

Will my footage be used for any other purposes?

Footage submitted to Extra Eyes may be used for media/training/publication/promotion purposes.

How do I report an offence?

Offences can be reported via Extra Eyes