Caught in the act: How and why you should invest in a dash cam
No one gets into their car thinking they're going to get into an accident—that, is until they do. Luckily, we now have dash cams, in-car technology that can be helpful to drivers in the event something goes wrong while they're behind the wheel. If you don't have one in your car already, you've probably heard about dash cams on the news when footage from a tense police encounter or from a foreign country like Russia has been featured due to an unusual situation. However, you likely won't encounter meteorites and crashing airplanes as often as you will annoyingly aggressive drivers.
The Consumer Technology Association estimates dash cams will become more mainstream in US cars soon, and dash cam sales rose 9 percent this year (wholesale) and 7 percent in dollars. By 2017, dash cam sales could reach a total of $52 million, possibly even $90 million when combined with rear windshield or backup camera sales.
Dash cams are unlike regular cameras or smartphones, because they're essentially protective devices—you won't necessarily know if the car next to you is equipped with a dash cam, and you're not supposed to. You also may purchase a dash cam and never have to pull footage, and some users won't be able to justify buying a device that they install once and never "use." But the one time you find yourself in a driving predicament, a dash cam can provide invaluable information about a crash or incident you experienced on the road.
