For those of us who have been driving the same car for a number of years now, seeing newer vehicles driving around with the latest tech may give us serious car envy. Luckily, Mototparks, who specialise in used Mazda have complied this list of the best new gadgets and tech to bring your old vehicle into 2019!
1. Battery chargers
Flat car batteries can be extremely frustrating whether you’re in a hurry or not. If your car is in need of a little battery maintenance, you might want to invest in a battery charger. These handy little gadgets help prevent a flat battery and can even monitor the health of your current car battery.
These handy devices can help you keep your battery running smoothly, although it should be noted that car batteries can last 3 to 5 years when properly looked after. Over time, your vehicle will naturally experience a decline in battery capacity, so it’s likely to go dead more frequently after 3 to 5 years. Provided your current battery is not excessively past its life cycle, you should be fine to charge yours safely and efficiently.
2. Parking sensors
When it comes to parking, people in the UK seem to struggle. For instance, a survey that was commissioned by RAC Insurance revealed that 35 per cent of those questioned admitted to having their car pranged at least once after parking it in a car park. Thirty-one per cent said that they had experienced this on multiple occasions, with 28 per cent stating that they had recorded three lots of damage. Staggeringly, 23 per cent noted five incidences.
According to RAC Insurance director Mark Godfrey: “We all use car parks every day so the chances of your car picking up a dent or scratch are pretty high, especially as vehicles have got wider over the years while parking spaces generally haven’t.”
Adding parking sensors to your vehicle could help you relieve some of the stress. For instance, the EchoMaster Rear Parking Display System can clearly alert drivers about how far their car is away from other vehicles and objects once the equipment has been installed.
3. Dash cams
Dash cams are quickly becoming one of the most popular gadgets in the UK. Purchase a dash cam for your vehicle, such as the Nonda ZUS Smart WiFi Dashcam that provides you with high-quality footage and the ability to record in Full 1080p HD at 30fps, and you’ll be joining a growing number of motorists who are turning to this technology in order to stay safe whenever they go for a drive.
This is because according to a survey by Aviva which involved close to 2,500 motorists, 27 per cent now use a dash cam when on UK roads — 72 per cent of those who say they have enhanced their vehicles with these devices have also encouraged other drivers to follow their lead. The study went on to reveal that 48 per cent of those with a dash cam believed the gadgets will provide them with peace of mind if they suffer a collision while driving, while 36 per cent of those who responded to the survey acknowledged that the devices help to make them feel safer on the road.
4. Blind spot mirrors
A blind spot is the part of the road that you’re unable to see when looking straight ahead out of your vehicles windscreen or when using the mirrors at the side and read. Depending on the situation, these blind spots — generally seen on the rear left and right side of your vehicle — can cover a large enough area to block out a pedestrian, cyclist, motorbike or a car from your view.
Blind spots clearly cause problems for drivers when changing lanes or merging onto another road. GOV.UK has stated that vehicle blind spots were a contributing factor for 1,250 accidents recorded in 2016 alone, for example, while an analysis of 50,000 road collisions conducted by Accident Exchange revealed that the majority of these incidents were found to be due to issues with blind spot visibility.
According to Direct Line Car Insurance, more than 11 million drivers have been in an accident while driving because they did not adequately check their blind spot. The insurance firm’s head of automotive technology, Nick Reid, reflected: “Letting our eyes drift away from the road while we drive or not checking our blind spot before manoeuvring is dangerous at best and potentially fatal at worst. We urge drivers to consider not just themselves but other road users and pedestrians when driving, as ‘I just didn’t see them’ is not a valid excuse for any collision.
“While nothing should replace driver vigilance, increased take up of driver assistance technologies such blind spot detection, pedestrian and cyclist warning and automatic braking systems could help reduce the number of unnecessary accidents on our roads.”
If you’re looking to improve your visibility whilst driving and stay safe on the roads, the convex, two-inch-wide, angled Summit Blind Spot Car Mirror should certainly help.