WHAT UK GUIDANCE SAYS

Eyes on the road,
camera out of the way.

A dash cam only helps if it never gets in the way.

UK rules have a lot to say about the space in front of the driver, the screens in the cabin and the footage you keep. Here is what DVSA, the Highway Code, the ICO and police guidance actually say.

CLEAR VIEW first, footage second

Check a mounting spot

A small dash cam mounted high on a car windscreen near the rear-view mirror, looking out over a quiet country road at dawn — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Mount it out of your sightline
Set it up before you set off
Keep clips only as long as needed
Small choices, useful footage

THE SHORT ANSWER

Clear view first,
footage second.

Three pieces of guidance cover most of it:
where it goes, how you use it, and what you do with the clips.

MOUNTING

Keep zone A clear

DVSA guidance says stickers or other obstructions must not encroach more than 10mm into zone A, the 290mm strip of windscreen in front of the steering wheel.

Check a spot

DRIVING

Hands off while moving

The Highway Code warns that in-vehicle systems can distract. Set the camera up while parked and find a safe place to stop if you need to touch it.

Set it up well

FOOTAGE

Send it unedited

Avon and Somerset Police ask for unedited footage that shows the lead-up, and ask you not to post it on social media.

Handling clips

A QUICK MOUNTING CHECK

Where is the camera
on the glass?

Pick a spot to see how much room the official windscreen guidance allows there. The bar shows how tight the limit is.

Mounting check

Choose a spotOutside the wiper-swept areaIn the swept area, away from the driverStraight in front of the steering wheelA screen on the glass blocking the road

Outside the wiper-swept areaLeast restricted

The windscreen zones only cover the swept area. The MOT still checks that nothing outside it significantly blocks the driver's view ahead or to the sides.

In the swept area, away from the driver40mm limit

This is zone B. Stickers or other obstructions must not encroach more than 40mm into it.

Straight in front of the steering wheel10mm limit

This is zone A, a 290mm wide strip centred on the steering wheel. Obstructions must not encroach more than 10mm.

A screen on the glass blocking the roadCan fail

The MOT manual lists an obstruction significantly affecting the view of the road through the swept area as a major defect, and says testers can remove items such as a sat nav.

Sources: DVSA and DfT, View to the front and windscreen obscuration; MOT inspection manual for cars, section 3, Visibility.

Based on DVSA and Department for Transport guidance on windscreen obscuration and the MOT inspection manual. A tester judges the actual view on the day.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Small gaps,
short deadlines.

One figure on the space in front of you,
one on how quickly police want footage.

10mm

Most an obstruction may reach into zone A

Zone A is a 290mm wide strip centred on the steering wheel (350mm on vehicles over 3.5 tonnes). Elsewhere in the swept area the limit is 40mm.

WINDSCREEN · DVSA

7 days

Time to upload footage of an offence

Avon and Somerset Police say footage submitted through Operation Snap must be uploaded within 7 days of the incident, unedited, and showing the registration number.

REPORTING · AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE

Deadlines and portals differ between police forces, so check your own force's website before you upload. In an emergency, such as serious injury or a blocked road, call 999.

FOUR HABITS TO TRY

Useful footage,
without the distraction.

None of these needs new kit. They are about where the camera sits, when you touch it and what you do with the clips.

Mount it high and to the side
Keep it clear of zone A in front of the steering wheel, where only 10mm of obstruction is allowed.
Set it up before you drive
The Highway Code says not to be distracted by screens while driving. If you need to adjust it, stop somewhere safe.
Save the clip you need
If something happens, keep the whole clip including the lead-up. Police ask for it unedited, with no added audio or notes.
Let the rest go
ICO advice to small businesses is that road footage with no accident should probably be deleted after a week or so.

A driver seen from behind adjusting a compact windscreen camera while the car is parked on a residential street — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

A hand holding a tiny memory card beside a laptop on a kitchen table, ready to copy a clip from a dash cam — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

FOOTAGE AND PRIVACY

Other people
are in the picture.

A dash cam records number plates, pedestrians and sometimes voices. The ICO says footage that can identify someone is their personal data, and advice for businesses is to keep it secure and limit who can see it.

For business vehicles the ICO says to tell people you are recording, for example with a sticker, to switch audio off by default and to register and pay the data protection fee. Police also ask people not to post footage of offences online, so it does not interfere with court proceedings.

Questions

Questions people ask

Is it legal to have a dash cam on my windscreen?

Guidance focuses on the driver's view rather than the device. The Construction and Use Regulations require the driver to have a full view of the road and traffic ahead, and DVSA guidance says obstructions must not encroach more than 10mm into zone A or 40mm into the rest of the swept area.

Can a dash cam make my car fail its MOT?

It can if it significantly affects the view of the road. The MOT manual lists that as a major defect through the swept area, and says testers can remove items such as a sat nav that obstruct the view, telling the driver.

How do I send dash cam footage to the police?

Many forces take footage through an online portal, which Avon and Somerset Police say is known nationally as Operation Snap. They ask for unedited footage showing the offence, the lead-up and the registration, uploaded within 7 days. Call 999 in an emergency.

Should I post a near miss on social media?

Police advise against it if you want them to act. Avon and Somerset Police say keeping footage out of the public domain stops it interfering with possible court proceedings.

How long should I keep dash cam footage?

ICO advice for small businesses is that holding weeks of footage just in case is probably too long, and road footage with no accident should probably be deleted after a week or so.

Eyes on the road,
camera out of the way.