Dashboard camera video can be used as evidence of road rage: Roadshow

Q: My sympathies for the driver who was trying to de-escalate the road rage driver on Highway 101 near Morgan Hill.

I had a similar terrifying incident. An angry truck driver confused me with another car (same color, year and make) that had cut him off, and I suddenly found myself the target of a 6-ton truck trying to slam me off the road and forcefully stopping in front of me on a busy highway. Thankfully, I was near a gas station exit so I fled the highway, stopped at the station and stayed locked in my car until the truck driver finally drove away.

After that incident, I immediately installed a front and rear dash cam in my car.

What are the laws around using dash cam video footage for police or insurance evidence, particularly when a road rage incident like this occurs?

Susan Burnett, Capitola

A: Video can be used as evidence. It, as well as interviews or any other factors involved, will be weighed by the courts in determining prosecution and might be used to corroborate or to disprove the driver’s story.

More drivers, motorcyclists and bicyclists are using devices like GoPro or dash cameras to document their trips. Safety experts hope it will lead to better driving as bad drivers realize their actions may be recorded.

Q: The DMV website is a semi-joke. Not only was it a hurdle to “register” when I was following the instructions provided to me by the Santa Clara County Court to find a traffic school, it took a few times re-entering my registration after being told the site didn’t exist.

After many tries, I finally got to the “Get Traffic School List” only to find out it was something called the Occupational list.

Further, the site doesn’t have a back button. I could go on and on with my frustration. Seriously, something needs to be done to improve the DMV website.

Killian Byrne

A: The information can be found on the DMV home page. Registration to the site is not required. Go to the Driving School List page: www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-education-and-safety/driver-training-schools/driving-school-list/.

From the home page, click Driver Education & Safety, follow the prompts to Driver Training Schools, then Driving School List, then Find a Driving School. Once you click the “I Agree” button, you may click Traffic School List.