Best bits of tech to make your driving safer

Stuck for finding the perfect present for Christmas?

Give the gift of safety this year with some of our favourite in-car gadgets.

Top gift ideas to help make your driving safer:

1. Dash cam

One of the most useful safety gadgets on the market, a dash cam, can prove liability for anything from knocks in a car park to accidents on the motorway, saving you from unfair insurance pay-outs.

What’s more, it could even help improve your own driving, by showing you how your habits might be causing problems on the road.

Dash cams come at a range of prices and are easy to install in all vehicles, from motorbikes to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Keen to find out more? Here’s our lowdown on everything you need to know about dash cams and have a look at some of the best dash cams on the market while you’re at it too.

2. Tyre pressure monitors

It’s all-too easy to let your tyre pressure slip. Many of us don’t think to check unless we think there’s a problem, however, cold temperatures can cause your tyre pressure to drop by around 0.19 pound per square inch (PSI) for every degree celsius change, making it especially important to keep an eye on tyre pressure through the winter months.

Tyre pressure monitoring systems can provide real-time tyre pressure information, with a sensor attached to each wheel, warning you when yours is getting low.

3. Digital Bluetooth assistant

The use of handheld devices on the road causes a high proportion of car accidents each year. Everything from using your phone for mapping and music, to making calls or scrolling through social media is illegal, and will lead to hefty fines if you’re caught.

Hands-free is the only (current) legal way to make calls or amend your GPS destination while behind the wheel, so why not invest in a digital Bluetooth assistant to help you stay connected?

Read up on the latest mobile phone driving laws.

4. Reverse parking sensor

Give yourself peace of mind while parking with a reverse parking sensor, helping you to fit into tight spaces more easily and spot unexpected obstacles.

Reverse cameras are readily available online and in car maintenance stores and will come with full fitting instructions, so there’s no need to visit a garage.

5. Car tracker

Car tracker systems allow you to track your car’s movements via an app. While this is particularly useful for preventing theft, it may also draw your attention to dangers in your everyday driving.

Modern tracking systems not only pinpoint the current location of your vehicle, but can map your most recent routes and analyse your speed, alerting you to any times or places where you tend to exceed limits.

Read up on the latest speeding laws with our handy guide.

6. Breathalyser

Approximately 85,000 people are convicted of drink-driving offences every year in England and Wales, with many motorists seemingly unable to identify when enough is enough.

Having a breathalyser handy will help you stay on the right side of the law over the festive season and beyond, so you never risk driving over the legal limit again.

The legal alcohol limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 Micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath. But the best plan of action is to avoid alcohol altogether if you’re driving.

Get the lowdown on everything you need to know about the dangers of drink driving with our ultimate guide.

7. Radar/laser detector

In 2017, a shocking 2.3 million British drivers were caught speeding – that’s four motorists a minute. But it doesn’t have to be you.

These nifty little gadgets use radar or laser detection to identify nearby mobile speed traps and police vans, warning you to slow down if you’re on the upper end of the limit, before you find yourself in a fix.

Want to learn more about speed cameras? Have your questions answered in our 2019 guide to speed cameras.

8. Smart steering wheel

Are you or someone you know easily distracted behind the wheel? If so, a smart steering wheel could be the ideal safety gift.

Smart steering wheel covers snap easily onto your steering wheel, tracking everything from turn rate and hand position, to sudden acceleration and drowsy driving incidents. It can even give you real-time updates via Bluetooth, actively teaching you how to make your driving safer.

Ever wondered what the most common driving distractions are? Check out the top 10 driving distractions here.