How to View Accident Video from Cameras

Many intersection accidents are caught on video and unfortunately, most police departments are not equipped to handle inquiries directly from drivers. I receive several emails a week from drivers who were involved in accidents at intersections that have red-light cameras and want to view the videotape as evidence.  So how do you obtain the video as evidence and who do I contact?  Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple depending on what city the accident occurred in and we will attempt to clarify this as we learn from other experiences around the US.

Municipalities have different requirements for maintaining and keeping video. They are no current standards and each city uses variations of technology that differ in terms of features and functions to capture and store video. Some cities have set up video systems to record continuously and the resulting video can be recorded locally or it can be streamed to the local Police department. It really all depends on the city and the application of the cameras. If that city uses continuous video we recommend contacting the police department directly for that information. Again, please contact your local police department directly to see if they can assist you to obtain the video. 

We would like to hear from people if they have been successful at getting video evidence for accidents.  Please email us with examples or post below.