When crashes happen, people often look for nearby cameras that might have caught the accident on video. Video of the crash is fantastic evidence of who was at fault, but only if you can get a copy of the footage in time before it is overwritten or deleted. That means it is important to know how long they keep the video before deleting it.
Generally, traffic cameras in Austin are not used for recording. They only monitor the flow of traffic and allow officials and drivers to check in in real time, but they do not record. If there are any government cameras recording, they do not keep footage long – anywhere from 48 hours to 30 days. Requesting video from these or other security cameras has to be done quickly, and our lawyers can help.
For a free case review, call the Austin car accident lawyers at Cap City Injury Attorneys today at (512) 612-3110.
Do Traffic Cameras Record Video in Austin?
Austin, TX has traffic cameras all over the city that you can access and view live. These cameras typically do not record footage, though.
They may be set to record at times if there is a study being done on a particular intersection or roadway. In that case, you may be able to request footage, but only if you happened to crash in front of a camera that was recording at the time.
Is There Other Traffic Camera Footage Available in Austin?
There may be other cameras that record for enforcement purposes, but Texas actually banned red light cameras in 2019. Some cities were exempt, but Austin shut down enforcement of its red light cameras right away.
That means that if there are any government-owned cameras that record, you would have to find out from the police directly. Make sure to ask at the scene of the accident when reporting the accident to the police, as it will give you an idea of whether or not that might be a possible route to obtaining video footage.
Can I Get Other Security Camera Footage?
Although we might not have any “official” traffic camera footage, security cameras are more readily available to everyday users than ever before. This means that many businesses, stores, and houses near your crash scene might have had cameras, and we can request this footage to help with your case.
After your accident, look around to see if you spot any security cameras on buildings, ATMs, or other locations. We can follow up in the next few days with the camera’s owner to see if it was recording, and we can send them a request to preserve the footage.
Some drivers also have dashcams, or witnesses might have been recording a video when your crash happened in the background. Video footage can come from many sources, so don’t hesitate to ask around at the scene of the crash.
The Process for Obtaining Video of Your Car Accident
If you are getting footage from a person or business, you can simply ask them for it. They are usually willing to turn it over. Our lawyers can also send letters to the owner asking them to preserve the footage, then discuss with them later about getting a copy.
When trying to get camera footage from the police, such as the police officer’s dashcam or a recording traffic camera, we can ask the officers involved in your case. They may be able to pull the video for us, knowing that the crash will lead to a court case.
If not, we can submit a records request with the government. In any case, going out and finding the footage yourself is not typically needed; we can get it for you.
How Long Does Footage Last?
There is no set standard for how long footage is recorded, if any footage is recorded in the first place. However, it does take a lot of storage capacity to maintain video from many cameras, and so cameras typically overwrite their footage pretty quickly to save space.
This means that cameras could overwrite themselves in as early as 2 days, or they could save data up to 30 days. There really is no way of knowing, so it is important to call an Austin car accident lawyer and act quickly to request that the owner save or turn over a copy of the recording.
Using Video of the Crash as Evidence in a Car Accident Case in Austin
Actual video of the crash happening is ideal evidence. Not only is it a great way to literally show the jury what happened, but a camera owned by some neutral third party is unbiased and can help strengthen your case.
Introducing Video Evidence
Our lawyers can introduce any video or photos of the accident or accident scene, regardless of who recorded them. As long as the footage fairly reflects what happened on the day, it is typically admissible evidence.
Benefits
Good security camera or traffic camera footage may be able to help answer any or all of these questions for the jury:
- Who was behind the wheel?
- What happened?
- Was the car speeding?
- Did they run a red light?
- Who hit whom?
The video can also help you identify hit and run drivers, identify what vehicles were involved, and even potentially record the other driver’s actions after the crash.
Drawbacks
However, footage can hurt your case, too. If the video contradicts your story, you might come across as a liar, even though some of that could be based on a bad camera angle, a gap in the footage, or even low-framerate video that appears choppy or disjointed.
Video can also be unhelpful if it is grainy, if the accident was out of frame, if there was a pole or tree blocking the shot, or if the video was tampered with.
Call Our Car Accident Lawyers in Austin Today
For a free case review with the Round Rock, TX personal injury attorneys at Cap City Injury Attorneys, call us at (512) 612-3110 right away.