Using Traffic Cameras in Car Accident Cases in Charlotte

Visual evidence can play an important role in showing how a car accident happened. After a crash, evidence may come from dashcams, nearby security cameras, residential cameras, or even doorbell cameras. This type of evidence is especially important in a Charlotte car accident claim, as it can capture details that witnesses miss or drivers later dispute.

Traffic cameras throughout Charlotte are another potential source of visual evidence. These cameras are often posted at busy intersections and other locations where traffic is likely heavy or where accidents often occur.

How do traffic cameras help to show fault when car accidents happen?

Camera evidence can show whether a driver was at fault and whether the victim may have been negligent. Traffic cameras can provide evidence of the layout of the intersection or road where an accident occurs, the positions of the vehicles before the collision, and the paths of the vehicles during the accident, including immediately before and after impact. They can help show the sight lines, the shoulders of the road, and the weather conditions at the time of the accident.

Sometimes, video footage can help prove that another driver was speeding, ran a red light, didn’t yield to oncoming traffic, followed too closely, or violated any number of traffic laws.

How do I obtain traffic camera footage?

Our Charlotte car accident lawyers understand how to use the legal process to obtain any traffic camera or visual evidence. We understand who controls the traffic cameras, such as a governmental entity or agency or a private company, and which entity to formally ask for approval to view the video of the intersection and/or roads at the time of the collision. Because there is often a limited amount of time before footage is destroyed or overwritten, time is of the essence when trying to preserve this evidence. The sooner you look for Charlotte traffic camera footage, the better your chances are of locating and preserving it.

Some of the steps involved in obtaining traffic camera footage are:

• Obtaining the police accident report. This report will show the precise location of the accident and help identify which cameras may have been in use at the time. The report will include details you may need to request video footage, such as the date, time, location, responding agency, and other involved drivers.
• Identifying who maintains the camera or footage. Traffic camera operators may include the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) or a city government, although NCDOT states that its traffic cameras do not record.
• Filing a formal request. Our Charlotte car accident lawyers will file a public records request when video evidence may be held at a government agency. The owner of the footage may have standard procedures for submitting requests, which we can use as soon as we meet with you.

Public records can be requested at the following locations:

• • City of Charlotte Public Records Requests
  • NCDOT Public Records Request
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Records
  • Mecklenburg County Public Records Requests
  • Law enforcement video requests

Note, however, that if the footage involves law enforcement video, such as body-worn camera footage or certain police recordings, different rules may apply. In some situations, a court petition may be required before a copy of law enforcement video can be released.

• Reviewing the footage. The experts we work with (such as traffic reconstruction experts) can review the footage to be sure that it captures all or even a part of your accident.
• Preserving the footage. We can take steps to make copies of the relevant footage and comply with the court rules for preserving the footage and submitting it in court.

Can I get security camera and doorbell camera footage?

After a car accident in Charlotte, you may be able to also secure video footage from security cameras and doorbell cameras.

Nearby businesses, apartment buildings, parking lots, and homes may have captured footage of the collision or the moments immediately before or after it.

Residents may also have doorbell cameras, such as Ring, Nest, or similar devices, that show the roadway, driveway, sidewalk, or intersection near the crash.

Potential sources include:

• Stores, restaurants, bars, gas stations, and shopping centers
• Office buildings, apartment complexes, and parking garages
• Private homes with exterior security cameras
• Residents with Ring, Nest, or other doorbell cameras
• Delivery vehicles, rideshare vehicles, commercial trucks

If you believe a nearby camera may have recorded the accident, it is important to act quickly. Security footage from a private business or homeowner is not obtained through a public records request, but the owner may voluntarily preserve or share the footage if contacted soon after the crash. If the footage is not provided voluntarily, a lawyer may be able to send a preservation letter and, when appropriate, pursue the footage through the legal process. This type of footage can also help challenge conflicting accounts of how the crash happened.

Many traffic cameras in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina provide live views of intersections and roadways, but they may not record or store footage. For example, NCDOT states that its traffic cameras do not record and that people seeking traffic camera footage should contact the local municipality. Crash victims may also need to act quickly to determine whether a city, private business, residential or third-party camera captured the collision.

Camera evidence owned or managed by the state or city of Charlotte may be persuasive if it’s available because it is unbiased, can corroborate your testimony or the testimony of other witnesses, and can help show if another driver violated traffic laws, such as driving through a red light.

There are also many private companies, such as weather companies and news stations, that have access to traffic cameras throughout North Carolina. These sources may help identify camera locations or live views, but they may not always provide recorded footage from the time of a crash.

Various websites and apps show where traffic cameras are located throughout Charlotte:

• DriveNC provides live North Carolina traffic camera views and road condition information.
• Trucker Guide provides live views throughout Charlotte.
• WeatherBug shows traffic throughout Charlotte.
• WBTV has live cameras at various intersections, including the following:
  • US 74 W at MM 264
  • I-485 South of Brookshire Blvd.
  • I-85 NB Ramps at NC 273
  • I-85 SB at MM 55.15
  • I-77 at Nations Ford Rd
  • I-77 at West Blvd.
  • I-485 North of Beatties Ford Road
  • I-85 at I-485 South
  • I-85 at Concord Mills Boulevard

What is dashcam footage?

Another type of camera evidence is dashcam footage. This is visual evidence from the vehicle’s viewpoint where the dashcam is located. In addition to providing a general view of an accident, like traffic camera evidence, dashcam video shows essentially what the driver of the car (where the dashcam is located) is seeing before and at the time of the accident.

Contact our Charlotte attorneys today

Call our Charlotte car accident lawyers today if you or a loved one was involved in a car accident where traffic cameras may have been in use. We can explain what visual evidence, such as photographs and videos, can be used to show another driver’s negligence. Contact Price, Petho & Associates to schedule a free consultation. We’re here and ready to help you.