A Mad Dash For Footage:
The Onboard Camera
We take a look into the dash cam craze in North America and what that means for you, the consumer, in terms of quality, price and safety.
February 13, 2019
A couple years ago a YouTube search for “dash cam” would’ve provided you with some of the craziest videos you’ve ever seen – almost all of which came directly from Russia. Fast forward to today, and things have changed. The dash cam craze has made its way to North America, and it’s only set to grow.
13 Million
In Annual Sales Across Canada
Capture The Journey
When taking a look at the data (as we are just a little bit obsessed with doing), one thing is clear: consumers in North America are craving cameras in their cars. Google’s Automotive Trend Report of 2018 looked at everything searched (remember that next time you search something!) and used that data to paint a picture of what car owners care most about. After their pets – seriously, automotive customers are obsessed with how their animals interact with their cars – the biggest search interest was about cameras. Those searches were three times more popular than even those about autonomous cars.
Dash cameras are a growth category, with total dollar sales increasing to over $13 million in Canada annually (12 months ending March ’18), which is up 30% over the previous period. (Source: NPD group POS data tracking service).
This isn’t just being driven (sorry, couldn’t help the pun) by novelty or some weird keep-up-with-the-Romanoffs desire. Dash cams – which, it should be noted can often record in front, beside and behind you – provide an added level of safety and contingency. From getting a first-hand account of an accident, to capturing evidence of a theft, dash cams are providing customers with significant piece of mind. In fact, in some countries insurance companies are actually providing better rates for drivers with dash cams. While providers in Canada haven’t followed suit yet, it’s likely only a matter of time.
Like so much technology, dash cams have become affordable, typically ranging from $100 – $400 CAD. On top of that, they’re getting smarter by the day. From the ability to recognize gestures and keep your eyes on the road, to logging your speed and exact location, dash cams are pushing the envelope of technology. If you can imagine it, they can do it. Even if you can’t imagine it, they’ve probably already figured it out for you too. Dash cams can now be equipped with shock sensors that automatically protect your files, super capacitor batteries that keep your cam running through extreme hot or cold and loop recording that allows you to constantly record by overwriting the oldest footage first.
With this trend picking up steam, we’ve partnered with Kaiser Baas to carry their R60 Dash Cam, which features a front and rear camera in the same box. Like everything Kaiser Baas makes, it’s sleek, easy-to-use and high-quality. The safety-conscious customer will be drawn to it, as will the tech-obsessed early adopter who may just want to share videos of their scenic drives. With the category on the brink of massive growth, this is can’t-miss product.
Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions about the R60 Dash Cam or to share your favourite dash cam videos (we seriously can’t get enough of them on YouTube).