The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) said it hopes to start tracking the aftermarket driver safety segment this fall. And it believes the driver safety category could return the car audio/video aftermarket to growth over the next several years.
It is hoped that the first forecasts on aftermarket driver safety will be released in January, said the CTA’s Steve Koenig.
“We acknowledge that …aftermarket safety is a hugely important factor. Customers are more routinely coming in to explore and learn about purchasing and installing safety oriented technologies these days,” Koenig said adding that the market is no longer just about entertainment.
The CTA will collect data on blind spot detection systems and collision warning systems and possibly other products.
The CTA is still determining which sub categories to track such as front-facing cameras and side cameras. “We may have to start small and focus on the larger categories or we will address all of them; but the specific categories and technologies is to be determined.”
Again, Koenig reiterated that with the inclusion of driver safety data, the aftermarket “may swing to growth overall.”
As we reported recently, the CTA recently found that aftermarket wholesale sales to dealers minus sales of portable navigation devices (PNDs) will total $1.347 billion this year. For 2018, the aftermarket is expected to see an increase in sales to $1.362 billion. But then sales fall over the next few years to $1.317 billion by 2021.
