How to find dashcam footage of your accident

Move fast: recordings get overwritten. Most security systems and dashcams record on a loop and overwrite old footage, sometimes within days. Whatever you try below, try it as soon as you are able.

1. Canvass nearby businesses.

Gas stations, storefronts, drive-throughs, and parking garages near the scene often have cameras facing the road. Visit in person, ask for the manager, and bring the exact date and time. Ask them to preserve the recording even if they will not hand it over on the spot; a preservation request from your attorney or insurer can follow.

2. Ask the city about traffic cameras.

Some intersections have city-operated cameras. Availability and retention vary widely by city, and many traffic cameras monitor live without recording. A public-records request to the city or state DOT is the formal route; your attorney can send it faster than you can in some jurisdictions.

3. Post where drivers and neighbors already are.

Local subreddits, neighborhood Facebook groups, and the Nextdoor and Ring Neighbors apps reach people who drive the same roads daily. Include the location, date, time, and direction of travel.

4. Go back at the same time of day.

Commuters run the same routes on the same schedule. Returning to the scene a day or a week later at the same hour and politely flagging drivers or posting a sign has found witnesses more than once.

5. Ask your insurer and any witnesses.

Responding officers sometimes note witnesses with cameras. Your insurer's claims investigator can canvass too; ask what they have tried.

6. Post a bounty here.

The bounty board publishes what you are looking for, with your contact details removed, and alerts registered dashcam owners near the location. Offering a reward is optional but tends to help. Post a bounty.

If you find footage: preserve it properly. Ask for the original file, not a phone recording of a screen. Keep it unmodified, note who provided it and when, and hand copies to your attorney or insurer. Chain of custody matters if the footage ends up in a dispute.