This is why some dangerous drivers don't get prosecuted even though they are caught red-handed

Although most of us try to obey the laws of the road, we'll often see the occasional driver or two breaking the law. Whether that's someone driving whilst on the phone or carrying out a dangerous overtake, these incidents still sadly take place.

But thanks to modern technology and the popularity of dashcams, mobile phones and doorbell cameras, motorists who capture incidents on video can report them to police with relative ease. West Midlands Police has an online portal that allows members of the public to submit footage of motorists who they've caught carrying out driving offences.

These offences can range from dangerous driving to not wearing a seatbelt, failing to stop at a traffic light, and using a trailer in the fast lane (technically, lane three) of a motorway. Drivers must upload the footage onto the force's website and provide details such as the time and location of the incident, the registration of the vehicle, and the make and model.

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In addition, you'll have to describe what happened and provide a statement. Reports must also be made within 10 days of the alleged offence. But the process allows West Midlands Police to track down drivers and punish them in a bid to make our roads safer.

The police force has published all the reports it has received for each month of this year up to July. These lists, which can be viewed online, detail the make and model of the vehicles involved, the alleged offences, the streets and towns/cities where they happened and whether any punishments were handed out.

For example, in July, the driver of a white Volkswagen Polo was handed a fine for using a mobile phone while driving in Carpenter Road, Birmingham. Meanwhile, the driver of a black Vauxhall Astra was provided 'education' for driving without due care and attention on Pritchards Road in Birmingham.

The lists also showed West Midlands Police handed out other types of punishments in the form of warning letters, court dates and 'other action taken'. For example, the rider of a grey scooter received court action for dangerous driving on Bells Lane in Birmingham. And the driver of a silver Audi Q5 was handed a warning letter for using a mobile phone whilst driving in Bromsgrove Road, Halesowen.

In some cases, police lists showed that no further action (NFA) took place meaning there was no punishment. This was down to a variety of reasons which included that no criminal offence actually took place, no independent evidence was available, there was no vehicle registration mark (VRM), it was out of West Midlands Police's force area or that it simply wasn't in the public interest.

For example, no fixed action was taken on a black Toyota Prius Prius which had contravened a red traffic light on Chapel Ash Island, in Wolverhampton, due to there being no independent evidence available. And the same outcome took place for a grey Ford Focus which was allegedly driving without reasonable consideration on Harborne Lane in Birmingham.

Other reasons why NFA took place was that the footage was submitted 'too late' which came under the heading 'Outside of 14 DAYS Late Submission'. By law, West Midlands Police said it can only serve a notice of intended prosecution (NIP) to a registered keeper or owner of a motor vehicle within 14 days of an alleged offence taking place. Offences which can result in a NIP are: speeding, running a red light, careless driving and dangerous driving.

That's why the police force says reports must be made within 10 days of an alleged offence occurring so officers have enough time to investigate it properly. A force spokesperson said: "The footage should include the whole incident and, wherever possible, one minute prior to and after the offence. The footage should not be any longer than 10 minutes in duration."

People have been encouraged to submit footage as part of West Midlands Police's Operation Snap. For more information, visit here.