The Consumer Technology Association reports that shipments of personal dash cameras are expected to rise 15 percent in 2017, a year after they went up 10 percent in 2016.
The dash cameras, which can range anywhere in price from $50 to more than $200, are often put on the front windshield of a car and can capture moments on the road.
Why do people buy them?
For 70-year-old Joe Hawblitzel, a self-described “tech nerd,” the cameras can play a pivotal role in crashes.
“We have a dash cam in each of our cars,” said Hawblitzel, who said he bought his first dash cam in 2013. “I like to be able to prove what happened if there is an accident."
Over the years, Hawblitzel has been able to capture a number of wild moments on the road: from a violent crash to things flying off cars.
Hawblitzel represents one of the many drivers now putting dash cams inside their cars.
Sales increasing
Ben Marr, the manager of National Auto Sound & Security in Independence, told News 5's sister station 41 Action News that his store has seen a slowly increasing number of sales for the devices.
“Every day it gets greater and greater,” he explained. “We didn't sell a lot of dash cams at all a couple years ago. Now, we sell quite a few a month."
Marr said consumers can buy a number of different dash cams nowadays, including ones that offer a 360-degree view of the inside and outside of a car.
Marr expects car video technology to grow and evolve in the coming years.
“The whole ‘connected car’ is where I think we're headed,” he said. “I think, eventually, we'll have front and rear cameras."
Pros and cons
Consumer experts have said dash cameras present both benefits and concerns for users.
Due to their ability to capture footage of accidents, insurance companies say dash cameras can play a big role in determining insurance claim cases.
“If somebody were to say that you ran a red light versus you thinking you didn't, any of that information is going to be good to have,” explained State Farm Insurance agent Chad Mitchell. “It gives us more information other than just a police report, a witness statement, or even a statement from our insurer to go off of."
Mitchell said dash cam footage has rarely been used in insurance claim cases in the metro, but he expects the devices may become part of everyday driving in the future.
Mitchell added that the cameras can also help a car owner in cases involving a car break-in.
“Footage to help the police solve a crime or footage to help us determine how the crime happened is always going to be a benefit,” he explained.
While the cameras have a number of benefits for those that use them, critics have brought up possible privacy concerns for owners.
Some dash cameras allow a user to record audio from the inside of the car, which can be illegal in some states if permission is not obtained by every rider.
As a precaution to the issue, Hawblitzel said he has decided to turn off the audio to the devices inside his car.
“If we have a guest in the car, they should not think they're being recorded,” he said.
For now, sales of the dash cameras continue to steadily grow across the country.
Hawblitzel said after using the cameras for years, he recommended that other people try them.
“I think the positives far out way the negatives,” he said.
