Traffic cameras are often used, especially in cities, to help monitor traffic and catch crimes on video. But how long do they keep the footage, and can you use it in your car accident case?
Louisiana has live traffic cameras to help report traffic, but these do not record, and the footage is only available streaming live online. The New Orleans PD also has access to various cameras around the city and may be able to provide footage of crashes, whether from traffic cameras or other registered cameras. Otherwise, third-party services purport to provide video footage archives of the live traffic cameras, and you can request footage from other camera owners. The length of time that each camera stores video is different, but 30 days is common.
For help with your car accident case, call Schoenfeld Law Firm’s Lafayette car accident attorneys at (504) 688-7760 today.
Can You Get Traffic Camera Footage in New Orleans?
The New Orleans PD has a program it calls the “Real Time Crime Center” to provide video monitoring throughout the city. They also tie in privately owned security cameras into this system.
Accessing Camera Footage
This means that they may have access to footage, whether they actually have it or not. Their website says to contact them if you need video footage of a car accident. You can also make a public records request for this.
How Long it Lasts
The video footage from this program is archived for 30 days and is then deleted.
Third-Party Websites for Traffic Camera Footage
Third-party websites sometimes offer recordings of traffic cameras. What they do is merely record footage from the streaming traffic cameras available from programs like 511 through the Louisiana Department of Transportation.
How to Get Footage
These companies are not always reputable, and they often charge at least $250 per video you want to get. Because of this, you should always be wary of trying to get footage from them, especially since it is often quite low quality and might not even be facing the right direction.
How Long it Lasts
Some sites claim they store footage as long as 90 days, but may retain it for longer.
Doorbell and Security Cameras
Because security cameras and doorbell cameras are becoming more readily available, you can often find local stores and homes that might have caught your accident on video.
Obtaining Footage
Our New Orleans car accident lawyers can check nearby businesses and homes around the accident scene to see if anyone has any cameras facing your accident. If they do, we can send them letters or contact them directly to ask them to preserve the footage or give us a copy.
Many people also register their cameras with the local police, allowing the police to find footage more easily through that registry.
How Long Security Camera Footage Lasts
Some common doorbell and security camera brands allow users to store their video on their computers or memory cards, meaning the duration of the video depends wholly on the user’s setup. Some may store video for only a couple of days, while others may aim for a month.
Others use cloud-based storage from common brand names. If that’s the case, then their storage date might depend on the camera owner’s subscription. Many store video for at least 30 days, but some might only store “events” captured on the video, potentially clipping off the ends of the footage.
FAQs for Traffic Footage in New Orleans
Can You Get Traffic Camera Footage in New Orleans?
Many traffic cameras and other privately owned cameras in New Orleans are part of the New Orleans PD’s registry, and they can access video in many cases. Even if a camera is not part of that registry, you may be able to contact the owner directly.
What Determines How Long the Video is Available?
Video owned by the New Orleans PD is usually available for 30 days as part of their standard policy. How long other cameras keep footage will all depend on the camera owner’s settings, storage capacity, and security camera subscription.
Does the Louisiana DOT Save Traffic Camera Video?
The traffic cameras the DOT makes available online are just for noting traffic patterns and might not record, though third-party services sometimes archive these videos.
How Do You Know Where Traffic Cameras Are Located?
DOT and New Orleans government websites have lists of local traffic cameras and safety cameras for school zones. A list of other cameras owned by the New Orleans PD can be found here.
Do You Need to Have Been in a Car Accident to Request Traffic Camera Video?
You usually need a car accident or other valid reason, like damage to a parked car. The government will not typically take the time to look up a video and send it to you without a good reason.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Get Traffic Camera Footage?
You can obtain video on your own, but our lawyers can help find video of your crash for you as part of our research into your case.
Do I Need Video of My Crash?
Video evidence of a crash is helpful but not necessary. Crashes happen all the time in places that cameras can’t see, and victims can still find success in those claims.
How Long Do Dashcams Store Video?
If you or someone else caught the accident on your dashboard camera, you should try to make a copy of that video as soon as you can. These cameras are small and often have small internal storage, without a link to any cloud services. As such, the video might only last a few hours or days before it gets overwritten by new footage.
Call Our New Orleans Car Accident Lawyers Today
Call (504) 688-7760 for a free case review with the New Orleans personal injury attorneys at Schoenfeld Law Firm.
