Car crashes are a concern every time you drive, so it’s helpful to have useful gadgets and accessories to minimize your risk of getting in one. In this blog, you will know What Are the Best Car Gadgets and Accessories.
In a study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), just 10% of accidents resulted from mechanical failure. This means that driver error is largely to blame, which indicates a need for better focus while on the road.
While tech gadgets won’t eliminate your risk of an accident, they can help you prevent one. Something like a dashcam is also fantastic for showing who is at-fault, which can help you move forward after getting in a car accident.
Not all car accessories are necessary or useful, so we’ll look at some that do offer you a genuine benefit below.
Dashcam
One of the niftiest gadgets you can use is a dashcam.
These are very affordable nowadays and a piece of cake to install. Most come with a suction cup mount that you’ll install just below your rearview mirror.
This will be powered by your cigarette lighter power outlet in your car and will automatically turn on whenever you start your car.
Most dashcams won’t require much or any effort from you, recording whenever you start driving and clearing space whenever it’s needed.
If you get into an accident, a dashcam will capture the clip in question and save it for later use. It won’t be overwritten and can easily be looked at when you pop out your memory card.
Dashcams are incredibly useful because they can prove who caused an accident. If you know that you’re an excellent driver, then this adds a layer of protection against other drivers that may be negligent.
Your words may not be enough to convince a judge or insurance companies, but video evidence captured on a dashcam speaks much louder than words.
Phone Mount
Another fantastic accessory is a mount for your phone.
This is particularly useful for combating distracted driving and gives your phone a dedicated storage place for every time you drive.
Many phone mounts are universal, meaning that you can stick just about any style of smartphone in one.
There are also different styles of phone mounts. Some use suction cups that mount to your dashboard, while others are placed inside your air vents.
One particularly effective style of phone mount is magnetic and requires no installation. With the use of a magnet that plugs into your air vent and a slim magnet that slides between your phone and phone case, you can easily mount your phone in just seconds.
There’s no good reason to be using your phone while driving, so mounting it will help you to remember that!
OBD II Smart Tracker
An awesome gadget that few people know about is an OBD II smart tracker.
If you’re unfamiliar with what an OBD II is, the term stands for on-board diagnostics. Whenever your check engine light turns on, a code is registered with your vehicle’s computer system.
To read this code, you’ll need to plug a scanning tool into your OBD II port, which is usually found beneath your steering wheel. Many auto shops offer free check-engine-light tests, which involves using this method.
Once you know what OBD II code is registered, you can then deduce what is causing the engine light to turn on.
An OBD II smart tracker is much more useful and eliminates the need to use a scanner. Instead, it will connect with an app on your phone and will automatically pull any check-engine codes that register.
Additionally, many smart trackers can also record mileage, track driving statistics, and can even serve as a GPS unit if your car is stolen. These are a great way of staying in tune with the health of your car.
Rearview Camera
Another excellent tool you can use is a rearview camera.
These are great for helping you back out of parking spots and for any time you’re driving your car in reverse.
The way they work is by having a camera near the bottom of your trunk that connects to a screen inside your vehicle. This will allow you to see what’s directly behind you and increase your field of vision to either side.
You’ve likely experienced the difficulty of backing out of a parking spot before without being able to see if any cars are coming. A rearview camera will aid you with this and will also let you see if there’s anything on the road directly underneath your car.
As useful as they can be, rearview cameras aren’t perfect and there’s still margin for error. The screen of a camera can be fuzzy, which can make it difficult to understand if anything is behind you.
If you use a rearview camera, use it as a secondary method of defense, making sure to physically turn your head and look around you first.
Blindspot Mirrors
One final accessory that’s inexpensive yet still useful is a blindspot mirror.
These are small, round mirrors that attach to both of your side mirrors. Blindspot mirrors are specifically angled so that they can allow you to look in your blind spot and see if any cars are there.
Side mirrors aren’t in a position to let you view your blindspot, but many drivers use them for that purpose. With blind spot mirrors, you can view your blindspot.
It’s important to note that these should not be relied upon for changing lanes without looking behind you. Anytime you need to shift lanes, always physically turn to check your blind spot and keep an eye on your blind spot mirrors afterward for added security.
Closing Thoughts
Driving always poses the risk of a car accident, so it’s helpful to have some gadgets and accessories that make your life easier.
A few of these include a dashcam, phone mount, OBD II smart tracker, rearview camera, and blind spot mirrors.
Dashcams help deal with an accident after it happens, while rearview cameras and blindspot mirrors can add an extra layer of protection to prevent one from happening in the first place.
Phone mounts can also help you avoid an accident by limiting your temptation to be a distracted driver.
An OBD II smart tracker is useful for running diagnostics and tracking driving information that you can use to analyze your driving habits.
While all of these gadgets are certainly beneficial, don’t rely on them to keep you from getting into an accident. Stay focused on the road and practice defensive driving to give yourself the greatest odds of avoiding a car crash!