Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers | June 10, 2025 | Car Accidents
If you have been hurt in a car accident in New York, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to prove what happened to cause the accident. Conflicting accounts from drivers can lead to a standstill that delays insurance or legal processes. You need strong evidence, like traffic camera footage, to support your claim in situations like these.
Video footage is some of the most convincing evidence available. It can resolve a dispute even when all parties’ memories are imperfect. If you want to obtain traffic camera footage in New York, the following information will help.
Steps for Getting Access to Traffic Camera Footage in New York State
Getting access to traffic camera footage in New York is relatively simple, but it does involve a few potential snags. One of the most relevant problems is that the agency that controls the footage often deletes it after 30 to 90 days. This means if you want to get access to this footage, you have to complete the following steps promptly.
1. Determine Whether a Traffic Camera Could Have Recorded the Accident
Before you take the time to gather traffic camera footage, you need to determine whether any traffic cameras could have recorded the accident. If there are no traffic cameras within a reasonable distance of the accident or none are facing the right direction, there may be no footage to acquire.
Typically, you are most likely to find a traffic camera that recorded the incident if you were involved in an intersection accident. Intersections are one of the most common places where cameras are placed in New York.
Conversely, if you were involved in a lane change accident on a major highway or interstate, it is unlikely a traffic camera was present unless you were near an interchange. It is impractical to place cameras frequently throughout major highways.
2. Determine Which Agency to Contact
The locations of traffic cameras in New York are determined by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). However, NYSDOT doesn’t operate all of the cameras. Cameras can be operated by the local government, NYSDOT, or private contractors.
Typically, if you aren’t certain which agency is operating a specific camera, the easiest way to find out is to contact NYSDOT. They should either be able to tell you which agency is operating the camera or direct you to a local contact who can provide that information.
3. Submit a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request
New York has a robust freedom of information law. According to this law, individuals have the right to access public information, including the footage from traffic cameras in the state.
To make a FOIL request, you must submit a request to the appropriate party. You can submit a request online or mail a written request to the FOIL office of the New York State DMV. This request includes a relatively minor cost, but some individuals and organizations are exempt from this cost.
4. Provide Relevant Details About the Accident
Most traffic cameras are active 24 hours a day. They may not record continuous footage, but they still record a massive amount of data. Sifting through that data can take an excessive amount of time if you don’t provide the agency with specific information about when and where your accident occurred.
You should, to the best of your ability, include the date, location, and time of the accident in your FOIL request. While you may not know precisely when the accident occurred, you should be able to provide a timeframe that narrows it down to the hour and maybe even to a tighter window than that.
This information makes it a lot easier for the agency to find the information you are looking for. It also allows it to identify if any other cameras might have relevant footage of the accident. This can be helpful if you failed to identify all the cameras that could have recorded the accident.
5. Request Additional Documentation
Since you took the time and effort to fill out a FOIL request, you might as well get as much information as you can. The FOIL request costs the same amount whether you only get camera footage or whether you also get other public records related to the accident.
Will you receive additional documents? That depends on whether any other documents exist. There should be a police report, but only if the police were called to the scene and documented the accident.
Common Types of Traffic Cameras
When determining whether there might be footage of your accident, you might look for three main types of traffic cameras: red light cameras, general traffic cameras, and speed cameras.
As the name suggests, red light cameras are located at intersections that have traffic control devices. They are primarily designed to capture the license plates or other identifying information of vehicles that run a red light.
These cameras usually do not record continuous video. Instead, they typically take several still images when they detect that a vehicle ran a red light.
Speed cameras also typically take still images and activate when a vehicle exceeds the speed limit. They are normally located in areas where speeding is common or where speeding creates increased danger (like school zones).
Finally, general traffic cameras usually record continuous video. They are typically set up at intersections. Unfortunately, since they collect continuous video, the footage is often deleted much more rapidly than other types of cameras. Thus, you need to act quickly if you think one of these cameras recorded your accident.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in New York City at Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers For More Help
If you need traffic camera footage, you can file a FOIL request. However, filing that request accurately can be tricky, so you should get started on it right away after an accident.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Manhattan, NY, and need legal help, contact our New York car accident lawyers at Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We also serve in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – New York City Office
100 Wall St 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 514-5007
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – Bronx Office
1578 Williamsbridge Rd suite 3b
Bronx, NY 10461
(212) 514-5007
(917) 905-2339
Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers – Brooklyn Office
32 Court St #704
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(212) 514-5007
(917) 920-7332
