How Many Months of Driving Records Can the Traffic Police Retrieve?
2 Answers
The traffic police generally do not keep records of driving trajectories for ordinary civilian vehicles. Below is an introduction regarding driving records: 1. Registered special-purpose vehicles: Relevant authorities may maintain driving trajectory records. However, these are for public administration purposes and are typically not accessible for personal inquiries. 2. Another interpretation of driving trajectory: The driving path during an accident, such as skid marks or scratches on the vehicle body. In such cases, the traffic police usually retain case files to prevent future disputes. 3. Cooperation with public security officers: When apprehending suspects, the traffic police may review a vehicle's driving trajectory, typically by retrieving surveillance footage.
To be honest, traffic records aren't something you can just look up for any period of time. By law, traffic police data is generally kept for 6 to 12 months, mainly for accident investigations or traffic violation handling. I've come across several cases—like a friend's car accident scene—where it's common for police to trace back 3 months of vehicle movement records. For longer periods, beyond a year, the data might get archived or deleted since these systems have limited storage, and governments must comply with data privacy laws. However, specifics depend on local policies—some cities with faster updates might retain data for just 3 months, while larger areas with more resources can keep it up to 12 months. Generally, accessing records from a few months back is fine, but older data gets tricky. A friendly reminder: drive responsibly to avoid trouble, lest old records come back to haunt you.
