With millions of apps out there, we shouldn’t be surprised that new apps are coming to the forefront to make driving easier. From finding the cheapest place to fill up, to turning your phone into your very own dashcam – there’s an app for that. But it’s important to remember not to use them while you’re driving. You can ask your passenger to set it up for you or get started before you set off, to make sure that you’re not distracted while you’re behind the wheel.
Here are some apps we think you should try:
Google or Apple Maps
No satnav? No problem! Having the google maps app downloaded to your phone means that you can navigate your way around unfamiliar roads with ease (without paying out for a satnav). It’ll help you choose the fastest route and will show you when traffic is coming up. You can buy handy phone holders that fix to your dashboard or windscreen, to turn your phone into your very own SatNav (without the extra cost…)
Download for Apple
Download Android
Waze
Waze is another navigation app definitely worth downloading. Real drivers can upload traffic alerts, accident notifications, police activity and more. The app will then update you if any of these alerts affect your route. It also tells you the speed limit for the road you’re driving on, as well as alerting you when there’s a speed camera nearby.
Download for Apple
Download Android
Spotify
Get the tunes flowing to keep your journey upbeat. Sometimes the radio just doesn’t cut it – most new cars can connect to your phone through Bluetooth. But if not, even older cars normally have an aux cable to connect your phone to your car. If not – don’t worry, you can buy an adapter on Amazon for under £15 that’ll let you connect your phone to your car. Remember – try not to play your music too loud, you don’t want to be distracted or unable to hear what’s going on around you.
Download for Apple
Download Android
PetrolPrices.com
This app helps you to find the cheapest petrol and diesel prices in the area, wherever you are. Don’t pay those expensive motorway prices, use PetrolPrices.com to find the cheapest garage nearby. Not only will it help you locate the nearest cheap fuel on a map, you can also get directions to it through the app!
Download for Apple
Download Android
JustPark
JustPark helps you to find a car parking space and is especially useful for when you’re driving in an unfamiliar area. Reduce the stress involved with finding somewhere to park, some of the parking spaces are even reservable! It’s updated regularly with real-time availability and you can get directions to the car park that you choose through the app.
Download for Apple
Download Android
RingGo
Pay for your car parking on your phone in just a few clicks, no queuing up to pay for tickets or searching for change. Another handy app to have to save you time when you’re parking.
Download for Apple
Download Android
Find My Parked Car
Once you’ve found and paid for your parking space with the last two apps, you can use this app to make sure that you never forget where you’ve parked your car.
Download for Apple
Download Android
Smart Dash Cam
Turn your car into a dashcam with this app. Just like an actual dash cam, your phone can record footage through the app and save it in case you have an accident. You can also set it to rewrite old footage, to save you some memory on your phone. If you want a dash cam, but don’t want to part with the extra pennies, this is the app for you.
Download for Apple
Download Android
Travel Bingo
Keep everyone entertained with Travel Bingo! Long journeys can be boring for your passengers, especially children. But Travel Bingo presents you with different road signs and objects to keep an eye out for, and you can check off the tiles as you seen them… like a high-tech version of ‘eye spy’! Hand your phone over to your passengers and let the fun begin…The free version gives you a limited number of tiles, but you can buy the full version for only £2.99.
