Dashcam trend gains momentum despite data privacy concerns
29.9.2025
Translation: Eva Francis
Smartphones, surveillance cameras or drones – video devices are everywhere. Now, they’re also becoming more and more popular in road traffic. Car, motorbike and bicycle dashcam sales are up by 39 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, as Galaxus order data shows. Data protection experts are on alert.
What Andy and Kristin recently experienced with the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert isn’t rare. In fact, it happens to all of us every day, just on a smaller scale. There are more and more cameras on trains, at bus stops or at events, filming us without our knowledge.
And recently, this trend has expanded to road traffic. Dashcams, cameras for car dashboards and bicycles, are becoming more and more popular. German YouTube channels such as Dashcam Deutschland or DashcamDriversGermany have six-figure viewer counts and subscribers. Cycling lobbyists show their viewers how dangerous their hobby is. The same trend can be seen in Switzerland, with channels such as Dashcam Helvetia or Dashcam Switzerland on the rise. Online retailer Galaxus is also noticing the growing interest in vehicle dashcams, as current sales figures show a 39 per cent increase in 2025 compared to the same period last year. Sales figures also reveal that most customers who buy cameras for their bikes, motorbikes and cars are men. 87 per cent of dashcams were ordered by men; 13 per cent by women.
Data protection is key
Buying and using dashcams is permitted in both Switzerland and Germany. However, the law requires camera owners to use devices for short, specific incidents only. Continuous recording and storing of footage is illegal. Manufacturers have already optimised their products to comply with the law. How? For instance, by installing speed sensors that detect when an accident occurs. This allows a dashcam to only capture an actual accident without recording an entire journey. In Switzerland, video recordings from dashcams can only be used as evidence in court in the case of serious criminal offences. But recordings are also permitted in court to prove your own innocence. A legal expert from Swiss magazine Beobachter, which focuses on law and justice, explains the situation in this video (in German).
In Germany, data protection with regard to dashcams seems to be less strict. Here’s how the General German Automobile Club ADAC describes the rules (page in German). In both countries, using dashcams illegally results in a fine.
What’s important when buying a dashcam?
The best-selling dashcams at galaxus.ch currently include the Garmin Mini 3, the Transcend DrivePro 250 and the Viofo A119 Mini 2. What makes these devices so popular? The Garmin camera features voice control, allowing users to save videos by voice command and keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. The Transcend dashcam, on the other hand, offers a built-in display. The Viofo model stands out with its special night vision capability. According to the tech journalists from German computer and communications magazine Chip (article in German), one of the most important dashcam features is an acceleration sensor, so that you don’t have to manually save videos. They go on to say having a large viewing angle is also important, making sure the camera records as much as possible. If the angle’s too large, however, the image will be distorted.
Overall, the dashcam market is dominated by devices for cars. While models for bicycles do exist, the selection is much smaller, as specialist service Mtb-news.de writes. From a legal point of view, there’s no difference whether a dashcam’s used in a car, on a motorbike or on a bicycle – both in Switzerland and Germany.
Do you use a dashcam? Or does it bother you that more and more motorists and cyclists have one?
Header image: Toa55 / iStockphoto
Daniel Borchers
Senior Communications Manager
Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.deA soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.
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