Why don't newer cars have dash cams by default?

The simple answer is that the automotive industry is incredibly conservative. New technologies are added progressively but slowly. A simple thing like a reverse parking sensor, that has been available for decades, and costs just a few dollars to buy and retrofit yourself, still isn't standard on all cars. read more

Some new cars do now come with built in dash cams. However, at the moment it is restricted to the high-end models and even then it is an option, not standard. It will come eventually but I suspect we will all be in self-driving cars before we get dash cams, and then the dash cam will only be used for taking selfies to upload to Facebook. read more

The law in California says that a dash cam may only store video 30 seconds before and after a triggering event (like a crash). Most cams aren't set up like that so most lawyers would be able to get dash cam footage thrown out no problem. Laws need to be changed before dash cams are common place. read more