Hit and Run but Dashcam Didn't Pick up Number Plate

Lwongfu on 09/02/2025 - 20:09
Last edited 09/02/2025 - 22:10

Hi everyone,

A grey Hyundai hatchback ran a red light hitting the front passenger side of our grey Honda HRV last Saturday night (01/02/25). They failed to stop so we weren’t able to get their details. I'm based in Northwest Sydney.

Unfortunately, there's so much glare on the number plate of the other car when we looked at our dashcam footage that you can't see anything.

We've tried playing around with video editors but have had no luck getting the number plate to be less glare-y. Our dash cam is a Viofo 119 v3 which has picked up number plates at night before but not this time.

Any ideas on how we can get the number plate to show better? We've been told by our insurer that without the other drivers details we need to pay an insurance excess of $1K and don't get a hire car for as long as the repairs to our car take.

Dashcam footage here: https://limewire.com/d/14c73a8b-37b2-45a4-97c5-c3053a9b9038#…

Photo of our car after the collision here: https://limewire.com/d/72bfd914-9501-4515-b2a9-2b31e20635b1#…

Thanks all!

Automotive Dash Camera

Comments

  • zonra on 09/02/2025 - 20:19
    +3

    You'll probably get better advice if you post the footage so people know what sort of quality we're dealing with.
    Edit: nvm, footage was originally posted but edited out.

  • Bruceflix on 09/02/2025 - 20:20
    +30

    Wait a minute. You have a dashcam. You are clearly not at fault. And you have insurance.

    You don't belong here.

    Real ozbargainers rely on MS paint diagrams and no insurance.

    But, on point, I hope there's a video techie here that can filter that vid and get a plate for you.

    • boomramada on 09/02/2025 - 20:32
      -2

      OP had a video with personal info, now poor OP need to get a video editing software to mask the OPs personal info, so someone else with good editing software can freeze the each frame for number plates. 😬

    • jv on 10/02/2025 - 09:52
      +1

      Wait a minute. You have a dashcam. You are clearly not at fault. And you have insurance.

      They will lose their rating though and have to pay the excess…

      • derrida derider on 10/02/2025 - 11:48
        +1

        jv, Bruceflix just left the "/s" off the end of that sentence.

        As I've said before, never attempt satire on the internet because someone will always take it literally. Without body language and tone of voice it is very hard to tell when someone is joking.

    • HeWhoKnows on 10/02/2025 - 20:34
      -1

      We know Op is not at fault

      But the victim must be able to identify the offender to avoid being liable fior the excess on the claim.

      Thats the problem here

  • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 20:32
    -2

    Revisit the scene and have a look up. There are police state surveillance cameras all along our streets now. Most major intersections have them now in Sydney. You should be able to request the footage from the intersection where the event took place or perhaps the next one along in the direction the perp was travelling. Perhaps they got a less glary angle. I am not sure who owns/operates the cameras so I couldn't help you where to direct the request.

    • boomramada on 09/02/2025 - 20:34
      +18

      There are police state surveillance cameras all along our streets now.

      Lol police wouldn't do that unless there is a murder involved. That will cost them more than $1000 lol

      • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 20:46
        -2

        They're probably not directly operated by the police, just at their disposal. I would guess it's whichever department is responsible for roads.

    • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 20:44

      We tried but apparently they r just live feed traffic cams that don’t record unless told to by the police. We’ve asked the police to request CCTV from nearby businesses too.

      In the meantime, we’ve been posting on local community FB groups instead now in the hopes someone else has dashcam footage too. We even gave the heads up to local smash repairers and wreckers.

      • Bruceflix on 09/02/2025 - 20:49
        +6

        We’ve asked the police to request CCTV from nearby businesses too.

        I wish you luck with that. I've taken dashcam footage into the police of hit and run where the plate is easily read and they haven't bothered to chase it up.

        • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 20:59
          +15

          I had my wallet stolen once. The thief used my opal card which meant I figured out which train station they used it. The Police wouldn't even follow up to get the footage to prove who did it and track them down. They also attempted to use my credit card (which I had already put a block on) - which must be some kind of fraud or attempted theft of money. Apparently that was a matter between the police and the credit card company. They never followed any of it up. Police are absolutely useless.

          • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:12
            +4

            @tenpercent: Yeah police didn’t even attend the crash even though by law I thought they were supposed to with hit and runs. They said they were under resourced on the night and told us to come into a station the next day

              • smartazz104 on 10/02/2025 - 08:56

                @Downvoter: They’re still waiting regardless.

              • lonewolf on 10/02/2025 - 11:39
                +4

                @Downvoter: my house was burgled, police didnt care either, eventually rocked up and never followed up even though they were meant to as there was evidence proving it was a tradie that had been in the place a few days prior. We chased up, and they said multple times they will get back to us and never did. A detective was also meant to contact us, they never bothered either. police arent interested except when they can make revenue out if it. If burglaries meant that cops get 50% of the recovered loot back…they will suddenly get involved a lot more.

            • besttechadvisor on 10/02/2025 - 10:14
              -1

              @wongfu: Police don't have to attend by law. You can't leave the scene of a serious traffic incident until you report it to police by law. The exceptions are if you're going directly to the hospital (if you're injured) or police station (e.g. if phone doesn't work). If police say they can't attend, then that's that.

          • ihbh on 10/02/2025 - 14:30

            @tenpercent:

            Police are absolutely useless.

            YMMV.

            Smoke alarm went off in our house years ago when we were at work. Neighbor probably called fire brigade and they let themselves in and changed the battery and left a note.

            That night the police checked in on us and I thanked them for checking in on us.

            • tenpercent on 10/02/2025 - 15:07
              +1

              @ihbh: Bloody typical. They can find time to check in on someone whose smoke alarm went off and their house didn't burn down and had already been attended to by the fire brigade (who actually did their job) but they can't do stuff like solve crimes. Bloody typical.

              • jackspratt on 10/02/2025 - 16:10
                +1

                @tenpercent: Sounds like you still haven't recovered from the police declining to get involved when someone nicked one of your sourgums when you were a kid.

                • tenpercent on 10/02/2025 - 20:52

                  @jackspratt: Looks like we got ourselves a blue boot licker here!

                  No actually.. It was my wallet and its contents including cash, credit card, debit card, license, medicare card, opal card, a gift card. People used to be deported to the other side of the planet for much less. Now they don't even get followed up by the police who do have time to do pointless house calls like busy body social workers. The sad part is the thief will just be emboldened and probably victimise other people and graduate to even more serious crimes.

                  • jackspratt on 10/02/2025 - 21:17

                    @tenpercent: Do the cops wear blue boots?

                    Can't say I've ever got close enough to notice, but seems you have.

              • Muppet Detector on 10/02/2025 - 20:44

                @tenpercent: There is a fire station at the end of a street.
                There WAS a scout hall next door to the fire station.
                Scout hall caught fire.
                All fire engines were on other calls.
                By the time an engine was free to attend the scout hall, it had effectively burned down.
                They say location is everything. Scout hall was right next door to fire brigade and it still burned to the ground.

      • ozb1ozb2ozb3 on 10/02/2025 - 09:46
        +1

        Does the intersection have red light cameras?

        I feel for you OP. I hope this resolves in your favour. I also hope there was no injury.

        • wongfu on 10/02/2025 - 11:02

          Unfortunately nothing :( then again if it had one people might not run red lights in the first place

      • besttechadvisor on 10/02/2025 - 10:11

        Police aren't going to bother; they've got too much on their plate to worry about a mostly civil matter. Go to the businesses and ask them yourself. Offer them some sort of reward, maybe.

    • Purp on 10/02/2025 - 16:19
      -4

      Police are overpaid for the very very little they actually do. Don't expect them to help you for anything, that's not even their job.

    • LuvABargainSYD on 10/02/2025 - 16:33

      If you’re referring to the cameras that monitor traffic incidents, they’re for live monitoring & don’t record but have a look around for homes or businesses with security cameras.

  • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 20:36

    I created a new link to the dashcam footage here that’s anon lol:
    https://limewire.com/d/14c73a8b-37b2-45a4-97c5-c3053a9b9038#…

    • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 21:01
      +39

      Neat. Limewire still exists?!

    • CodeXD on 09/02/2025 - 21:01
      +18

      wow limewire, thats something I haven't heard of in a while… and here I am… back downloading video from it lol

      • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:04
        +1

        Lol yes I was surprised too. Literally Googled for something that would let me upload a large file anonymously

        • CodeXD on 09/02/2025 - 22:23
          +2

          I asked chatgpt to reduce the glare, but file was too big. By the time I reduced it down, I had already used up my data analysis limit for the day.

          • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 23:41

            @CodeXD: Thanks for the idea mate. Gave it a go too but no luck. Guess the reflection on the number plate is just too much

          • nobro25 on 10/02/2025 - 18:13

            @CodeXD: Try DeepSeek?

      • ajr5k on 10/02/2025 - 15:19

        First time downloading video from Limewire?

        • CodeXD on 10/02/2025 - 15:21

          and here I am… back downloading video from it lol

    • 87percent on 09/02/2025 - 21:05
      +8

      Viofo isn’t a potato.

    • lgacb08 on 09/02/2025 - 21:52
      +3

      Potato or not at night you'll be at the mercy of all the lights and glares on the road.

      • mantra on 09/02/2025 - 23:55
        +4

        CPL Filter on dashcam lens will reduce glare and reflections BUT at a cost of light

        THEN you need larger sensors, lower aperture to let in more light BUT at a cost of money

    • CodeXD on 09/02/2025 - 21:04
      +16

      LOL OP has green light going straight

    • cloudy on 09/02/2025 - 23:25
      +22

      I hope you don't have a license

    • pulpfiction on 10/02/2025 - 20:42
      +1

      Haha this person is why these accidents happen.

  • AustriaBargain on 09/02/2025 - 21:10
    +1

    There probably shouldn't be a turn with care at that intersection when oncoming traffic comes up over a hill.

    • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:14
      +4

      Sorry to clarify - the other guy ran a red light. It isn’t a turn with care

      • Eeples on 10/02/2025 - 23:06

        Ran a red or ran a red arrow?

    • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:21
      +16

      The other guy ran a red light. It isn’t a turn with care. We went through the footage with the police the next day to file a report and they deemed us not at fault.

        • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:43
          +4

          Our car wasn’t drivable but we managed to move it out of the intersection (Old Windsor Rd and Miami St, Glenwood) and onto Balmoral Rd, Bella Vista.

        • try2bhelpful on 10/02/2025 - 07:11
          +16

          Really stupid idea to try to chase the car.

        • smartazz104 on 10/02/2025 - 08:57
          +11

          You should quit while you’re behind.

        • nobro25 on 10/02/2025 - 18:15
          +1

          If OP chased them. OP could potentially cause an accident.

        • Muppet Detector on 10/02/2025 - 20:48
          +1

          He's not freakin Batman!

    • OMGJL on 10/02/2025 - 00:39
      +11

      I see, this is why I see so many morons on the road —- they don't even know the road rules and think they have every right.

    • kaleidoscope on 10/02/2025 - 16:24

      found the offender!

  • CaptainJack on 09/02/2025 - 21:17
    +3

    Interesting, i would've thought if you can prove you're not at fault with the video then it's not your problem the other driver didn't provide their details.

    • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:36

      Yep exactly what we assumed after we went looking for the other driver after they didn’t come to us but had no luck.
      Our car wasn’t drivable but we managed to move it out of the intersection (Old Windsor Rd and Miami St, Glenwood) and onto Balmoral Rd, Bella Vista. I think our insurer and the police maybe expected us to chase after the hit and run driver to get their deets…

      • Xyzzy on 10/02/2025 - 08:43

        Who is your insurer?

        • wongfu on 10/02/2025 - 11:27
          +3

          Youi - they’ve been taking us around in circles. We even asked them about the hire car option when we got the policy and I think they only mentioned that you have to be not at fault. We’ve asked them to review the call but they’ve sat on it for a week and they might just say well you should’ve read the PDS.

          If they had told me on the call something like ‘keep in mind if the other car doesn’t stop to exchange details you need to pay the excess and you won’t get a hire car’ I would’ve likely changed that option on the policy. I’ve never been an accident and I’ve had my license for more than 14 years. Unfortunately life lesson from this is going to cost me no car for apparently at least a month :(

          • tenpercent on 10/02/2025 - 15:13

            @wongfu: I would think that if they told you they will provide a hire car if your car gets wrecked as long as you are not at fault then that becomes part of the contract. ACL might help you here but I can only see the remedy being them reimbursing your bill for a hire car / uber rides / taxi fares. So you'd have to risk paying out of pocket first.

    • boomramada on 10/02/2025 - 09:04
      +1

      If that is the case, we all can use OP's video to get away from insurance excess :)

    • derrida derider on 10/02/2025 - 11:56

      That is naive - read your PDS. Basically it says that they only waive the excess if they can make another party pay it. It is not about you not being "at fault" at all.

      • wongfu on 10/02/2025 - 12:37
        +2

        Youi’s PDS says you need to be not at fault first. What I don’t get is how you're supposed to get a hit and run driver’s details. As other Ozbargainers have said it’s not worth chasing them down especially in a non-drivable car.

        • bp2000 on 10/02/2025 - 15:19
          +2

          Yeah it's insane. What's more I was getting insurance quotes recently and the wording when putting your history now is "accident where the excess wasn't payable" not "no fault". So you may be the safest driver in the world it seems but one hit and run and for all intents and purposes you were at fault.

          So garbage.

    • John Dough on 10/02/2025 - 18:45
      +1

      I think OP should be rather insistent and have this escalated up the chain at Youi.
      We buy insurance (and dashcams) to not have to deal with these idiot drivers.
      They take your money, but "sorry, you have to pay the excess as the stolen car/scene runner didn't leave their details"
      I'll never use Youi (not that I ever would as they are SO expensive compared to others)

      Do all insurance companies have this policy? It's got me rage posting 😆

      • CaptainJack on 10/02/2025 - 19:43

        It does seem very odd to me that a 'comprehensive' policy won't fully cover you if the other driver decides to do a runner - that's kind of the exact situation sort of situation you buy comprehensive for. But if that's what they make you agree to in the PDS, I guess there's not much you can do.

        (I drive a beater car and just use 3rd party so I'm not looking at it too closely).

  • oscargamer on 09/02/2025 - 21:37
    -6

    Why didn't you follow them?

    • wongfu on 09/02/2025 - 21:43

      Our car wasn’t drivable but we managed to move it out of the intersection (Old Windsor Rd and Miami St, Glenwood) and onto Balmoral Rd, Bella Vista.

      • bashar20 on 10/02/2025 - 20:28

        This is quite annoying.
        Based on my sense of direction.. The car that hit you turned right from balmoral rd.
        If they were driving down balmoral rd perhaps some of the homes security cameras may have a record of its plate number.
        But if they were driving from metro station or free settler drive then you are out of luck.

    • IpGem on 10/02/2025 - 09:27
      +10

      In my experience, following isn't always a great idea for number of reasons, one of them is, you’ve no idea what further damage it can do to your car without knowing the depth of the existing damage and if your car is still road worthy from that hit n run.

      Always a great risk to yourself and other fellow drivers on the road

    • Muppet Detector on 10/02/2025 - 20:52

      He wasn't driving the Batmobile that night.

  • JIMB0 on 09/02/2025 - 22:57
    +12

    Even the best dashcams have trouble picking up plates at night. It's best to read the numberplate out loud so you have a record.

    • backupper1 on 10/02/2025 - 09:42
      +2

      yeah, but in this case OP has audio capture disabled.

  • cloudy on 09/02/2025 - 23:31
    +1

    damn I hate a blind crest at a intersection! Imagine if OPs car couldn't move at all and was stuck there and a car behind travelling came in at 60km on the green, he'd have probably 3/4 seconds before he could first sight OPs car, and then reaction time to realize its not moving and need to slam brakes to full stop to avoid touching.

  • life is suffering on 10/02/2025 - 01:11
    +2

    Op can you post this on FB group pertaining to that area . Someone might come forward.

    • wongfu on 10/02/2025 - 11:34
      +3

      Thanks mate we have been. We’ve posted on as many local FB community as we could. We even spoke to some local smash repairers and wreckers to give them the heads up in case the hit and run driver tries to get rid of the evidence.

      • life is suffering on 10/02/2025 - 11:39

        That’s good OP I hope something turns up. All the best OP

  • 7ekn00 on 10/02/2025 - 01:15
    +4

    It's not "glare", it's motion blur and blown highlights from not having camera set to 60FPS :/

    You won't recover the plates from that video!

    Am sure the V3's can do 60FPS …

  • johno3456 on 10/02/2025 - 01:17
    +6

    All insurance co's i have dealt with require you to both be not a fault and to provide the other sides details (name, address etc).
    Otherwise, it costs your excess as they have no one to recover money from.
    Even when no one is involved once I had a tree drop a branch on the car and you have to pay excess. The same applies to hail damage. You are not at fault. You may be able to save your rating but not the excess.

    I am surprised that the cops will not provide more help, a hit and run is pretty serious offence even if you were only financially impacted.

    I have not watched the event but the insurance companies and Courts can apportion responsibility. It does not matter what a cop said.
    All drivers have a duty to avoid accidents, even those caused by crazies running a red light.

  • FullPrice on 10/02/2025 - 04:52
    +2

    Does NSW not have those ANPR cameras set up everywhere like we just got in WA?

    Cops could solve it in 5 minutes without leaving their desk.

  • try2bhelpful on 10/02/2025 - 07:20
    +4

    Even if you had the number plate it might not help. My other half had a hit and run on his car. He memorised the number plate and told the cops. When the cops went around to the people they claimed the car had been stolen that morning. Weirdly enough a couple of days later the car turned up in their neighbourhood where they “found” it. The cops were trying to do the right thing but if there is nothing they can do if the car owner flat out lies.

    Some people coat their number plates with stuff that makes them hard to read. Usually a way of getting out of tolls that use cameras to detect cars without transponders.

    At least you have the footage if they ever track down the person involved.

    Best of luck

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 10/02/2025 - 08:37
    +13

    The best thing about this forum post is the use of LimeWire.

    • Guybrush57 on 10/02/2025 - 09:21
      +1

      IKR! Who knew that was still a thing?

    • djkelly69 on 10/02/2025 - 09:36
      +4

      Can everybody pls seed so I can download OP's video? It is taking ages (cos I am on dialup).

      • jackspratt on 10/02/2025 - 14:01

        Limewire on dial-up - living like it's 2000 again. 😁

      • McFly on 10/02/2025 - 14:21
        +1

        … and then your mum picks up the phone to make a call just when it's almost downloaded.

  • IpGem on 10/02/2025 - 09:19

    The intersection must have a cctv hooked up somewhere?

    • jv on 10/02/2025 - 09:53
      +1

      why 'must' it ?

    • wongfu on 10/02/2025 - 11:41

      Well there’s an Ampol we thought the hit and run driver might’ve pulled into to get off Old Windsor Rd. They have plenty of CCTV but the police don’t think it’s worthwhile requesting it.

  • jv on 10/02/2025 - 09:52
    +1

    Sounds like it might have been a stolen vehicle.

    • McFly on 10/02/2025 - 14:22
      +1

      Surely you mean looks like.

      • jv on 10/02/2025 - 14:26
        -2

        I was listening to the audio and cc captions whilst driving to a client.

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