The legislative gap concerning the use of car dashboard cameras (dashcams) was addressed in a bill proposed by Stavros Papadouris, leader of the environmental movement, on Thursday at the parliamentary transport committee.

“The aim of this proposal is to enhance road behaviour and safety for the benefit of society,” Papadouris stated.

He noted that since new cars are increasingly equipped with built-in dashcams, and others have them added as accessories, there is a significant legislative gap as dashcams currently operate without a clear regulatory framework.

Describing this gap as a “crisis”, he highlighted the risk of major violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

During the discussion, legal authorities, the transport ministry, the road transport department (TOM), the Cyprus Bar Association, and insurance companies all expressed support for the initiative.

Papadouris acknowledged that drafting the new bill will be challenging, especially regarding issues of data registration, as the legislation will need to operate within specific guidelines.

He explained that the proposed law would cover incidents involving accidents and criminal acts related to vehicles equipped with certain technologies, such as sensors that activate alarms and camera recordings.

To protect privacy, dashcams may remain active but only record when a qualifying event occurs, preventing unnecessary recording of third-party personal data.

“This law will facilitate the role of the police,” Papadouris said, particularly in traffic accidents, as video evidence will clearly show how incidents occurred, helping to avoid disputes.

The police also favour the bill, noting that dashcams do not capture sound or images. “They record not only the behaviour of third parties but also the users,” they stated.

Another advantage, according to Papadouris, is that dashcams can capture data such as speed, speeding and directional changes, which are crucial for determining causes of fatal accidents, similarly to an airplane’s black box.

Although the measure is “complex”, Papadouris emphasised the need for a “thorough study by all relevant services”, aiming to bring the bill to the Plenary before the end of the current parliamentary.