Pros and cons of buying a dash cam

Dash cams are not just for police cars.

Drivers buy them too, but it's not common in the United States compared to places like the United Kingdom. In fact, many insurance companies in the U.K. encourage people to buy a dash cam and even offer discounts for drivers who use them.

Dash cams can come in handy in car accidents, burglaries and hit and run cases. Parents also use them to keep an eye on their teen's driving. You can also capture interesting footage on the road.

While there are many reasons to consider buying a dash cam, experts at Pemco Insurance say there are some downsides like distracted driving. You'll want to make sure the dash cam is placed where it doesn't block your field of vision.

You can buy a dash cam for less than $200. The price will just depend on features like video quality, motion activation, video archiving, night vision and even audio recording.

Keep this in mind if you choose to buy a dash cam that records audio: Washington is one of 11 states where it's illegal for companies and private citizens to record conversations.

Make sure everyone in the car knows they're being recorded.