Skip to main content

Highways England urged to make CCTV of “swerve to avoid” crashes available to insurers

With distracted driving causing a dramatic rise in ‘swerve to avoid’ crashes, Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) has welcomed a clarification by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that traffic flow CCTV is not personal data. In a stance criticised by drivers, fleet operators and insurers, Highways England has apparently used the Data Protection Act to justify the deletion of footage after only seven days, even when it might prove liability in a serious accident. It has also cited the cost of st
March 17, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
With distracted driving causing a dramatic rise in ‘swerve to avoid’ crashes, Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) has welcomed a clarification by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal traffic flow CCTV Visit Highways England website false http://www.englandhighways.co.uk/hazards/the-careless/ false false%> is not personal data.

In a stance criticised by drivers, fleet operators and insurers, 8101 Highways England has apparently used the Data Protection Act to justify the deletion of footage after only seven days, even when it might prove liability in a serious accident. It has also cited the cost of storing the recordings.

According to CMA managing director, Philip Swift, a former police detective, law abiding road users should also be concerned about the sharp increase in swerve to avoid incidents and the legal, financial and administrative headache which frequently ensues.

Swift says that in incidents such as those where a driver crashes into the barrier after taking evasive action to avoid a driver veering towards him, it is often the victim who is pursued, completely unfairly, for the barrier repair costs, while the negligent party is never traced.

“Including any relevant CCTV with these claims from the start would help ensure it is the truly at-fault who pick up the bill, rather than the victims of distracted driving or the taxpayer. In light of the ICO’s advice, surely it is time for Highways England to retain and make this footage available to insurers?” he concludes.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Innova debuts cloud-based LPR access and control system
    March 19, 2018
    Spain-headquartered Innova Systems Group is here to launch Siram Cloud, an access control solution based on licence plate recognition (LPR). The company claims it is the first LPR access control system based on the Cloud.
  • Riverdating – barge to business
    October 22, 2014
    European cooperation between key players in the sector has developed inland navigation as a competitive transport mode. Waterway transport is an environmentally sustainable transport mode that also brings innovative solutions to the current logistics challenges. The next Riverdating event in Luxembourg on 19 and 20 November provides a forum for exchange and dialogue between stakeholders of demand and supply in waterway logistics and enables individual business meetings between companies looking for mult
  • CHAMP final workshop
    June 12, 2014
    The European Cycling Heroes Advancing sustainable Mobility Practice (CHAMP) project will come to an end in September 2014. The final workshop takes place in Gent, Belgium on 11-12 September. The CHAMP project brings together leading cities in the field of cycling. Within the project, they have looked at innovative ways to further boost cycling in their cities and enhance local policies. CHAMP has developed and tested a performance analysis tool, building on self-analysis as well as peer review by ot
  • Pismorad exhibits solution to remove horizontal signalisation
    March 19, 2018
    Pismorad is showcasing its SH 8000 solution for the removal or erasing of horizontal signalisation from asphalt and concrete. It features two cleaning heads of 35.5cm diameter with the intention of enabling simultaneous parallel erasing of duplicate lines. The vacuum pump mechanically aims to remove the surface of asphalt to the depth that the colour has penetrated, through using paint removal and water as an erasing agent. In addition, the product can be deployed to help improve the condition of runways