Most of us use our cars to drive around on a daily basis, whether it’s to and from work or to pick the kids up from school. Doing the same route every day can definitely become tedious.
Though playing on your phone whilst driving is a definite no, there are ways you can use apps in cars to improve your driving experience. What are the best apps to use whilst in your car.
We’re going to look at some of the most popular in-car apps apps drivers can use when driving, without causing an accident.
Petrol Prices – For the lowest petrol price
This is a relatively new car app, but it’s become more and more popular in recent years. The app aims primarily to assist with petrol problems – it helps you find the cheapest fuel prices in your region so you can find a gas station quickly.
It has a lot of basic features, but it has most of the petrol stations listed in the apps, from BP and Esso through to Shell garages. Most apps like this are designed for US users, but this one of focuses on UK fuel prices (gas prices for you Americans).
You can set your location within the app and it’ll search within a set radios (e.g. 10 miles) of your location for petrol stations.
If you’re all about saving money, Petrol Prices app is definitely worth downloading as it’s free, so you can only save money whilst using it. It’s available for both iOS and Android users.
Vani – For hands free calls
If you’re an Android phone owner that makes and receives calls whilst they’re driving, you’ll definitely want to look at downloading an app like Vani.
It’s an Android auto answering app that allows you to easily pick up phone calls whilst you’re driving with just your voice commands – great for those that drive and call simultaneously.
For your daily commute, users can answer the phone by simply saying “Hello”. You can also use it for sending messages and other automated tasks too.
It’s extremely easy to use, and apps like Vani give you access to your phone’s features without having to worry about being too distracted from the road.
Drivvo – For adding up the costs
You’re supposed to keep all the details of your car on file, but the truth is that many of us never manage to do this.
With Drivvo you can start to list all of the expenses that you tally up easily – the list includes repair expenses, maintenance and mileage amongst other expenses.
Downloading a maintenance app is a great idea if you want to work out whether buying a new vehicle is worth it or not. Often, people opt for a used car, but end up paying out so much in expenses that they may have well got a lease.
The app will help you manage expenses for the end of the tax year too. Likewise, you can set up notifications in the app to remind yourself of the need for maintenance.
If you want to assess you driving habits over time and save money, using an app like Drivvo is essential.
Audible – For Audiobooks
Contrary to popular belief, you can still read whilst you’re in the car traveling – kind of, anyway.
Audible has many audio book choices that give you something to listen to that doesn’t require music or radio – any long distance driver can tell you that after a while, even your favourite songs will become boring.
You can choose from the library’s collections and download new books directly to your iPhone or Android device.
Once you find the audiobook you want to listen to, you can then speed up the playback rate if you want to listen to it faster.
Audible has one of the largest libraries of any audiobook app too, which means you don’t rely on an internet connection when listening to your favourite books.
JustPark – Finding cheap parking
If you’re searching for car apps, JustPark is a great download that lets you find parking spaces for both short term (down to the minute) and long term stays.
JustPark works well by combing both public and private parking spots, meaning you can sometimes find cheaper options than the local car park.
What started out as an easy way to list a parking spot for rent has now turned into a fully fledged lifesaver, and it’s one of the best car apps to download when you’re visiting a new location.
Google Maps – For Basic navigation
Google Maps remains one of Android’s most widely used apps, and there’s a good reason why it’s one of several map apps you should download.
It handles the use of directions to a destination really well, meaning it’s really easy to set up a journey within the app if you’re driving long distance.
It can handle voice requests with Google Assistant too, which is another big benefit of using Google Maps.
It’s great for routes, and they can be downloaded for offline use too. So, if you want a general map app, Google maps is worth downloading.
Waze – For live traffic updates
The apps Google Maps and Waze are often compared. Where Google Maps can provide a better alternative to long journeys. Waze is great for driving through traffic and heavily congested areas.
Because it’s a crowdsourced software, it enables other drivers to report any problems, traffic jams or accidents on the map.
This means that you’ll get live updates on traffic around you, enabling you to adjust your route quickly as you see fit. It’s dynamic too, and it can redirect you with a better route.
Many professional drivers swear by Waze when it comes to live updates, so it’s worth testing if you drive on a regular basis.
TuneIn – For a new radio station
TuneIn is a popular radio app that allows you to listen to hundreds of radio stations in music but also for conversation too.
This includes lots of different sport channels, as well as general entertainment. TuneIn provides a wide selection of radio stations you can listen to, with 100,000+ different stations that you can tune in to.
It can be fun listening to stations from another city while cruising and traveling. If you like traditional radio but want more selection to choose from, download TuneIn to listen to a new radio station near you.
Conclusion
It’s essential that you know which apps are useful to improve your driving experience, whether you’re a new driver or an experienced one.
Hopefully this list of apps can help you to improve your driving, whether that’s helping you find a parking spot or helping you to find cheap petrol and gas prices.
