By Alex Perdikis
Gadgets for your car run the spectrum from silly to amazing and back again. Some are fun and others provide a range of functions that enhance the driving experience and make it safer as well. Which devices are worth spending your hard-earned cash on? Here’s the latest in car gadgets and what you need to know about them.
The Smart Wheel Cover
Parents of teenage drivers — this one’s for you. Distracted driving causes millions of accidents in the U.S. Teens are particularly susceptible to distracted driving due to texting. The Smart Wheel Cover tackles the problem of keeping your young driver’s hands on the wheel and off their phone.
The Smart Wheel Cover uses smart technology to determine if a driver’s hands are both on the wheel and at the “10 and 2” position. If the driver’s hand is improperly placed or the driver removes a hand from the wheel, a red warning light flashes and an audible alarm is triggered.
The wheel cover connects to a mobile application for parents that keeps track of their teen driver’s performance. The young driver is given an overall safety grade, from A on down, and includes charts to breakdown activities.
If you have teenager drivers in the house, this gadget could be a lifesaver.
Heads-Up Display
Your phone has navigation but to safely use it, you need to be able to see it without taking your eyes off the road for more than a second. Smart heads-up displays give you a way to use your phone’s apps safely. The display mounts on the dash and syncs with the apps on your phone. When mounted correctly, the large screen gives you an easy and safer way to see at a glance.
“Higher end heads up displays allow you to use most of the apps on your phone, such as Pandora and Spotify, come equipped with touch screens, read your messages aloud and include hands-free phone calling.” — Alex Perdikis
A smart heads-up display is better than a simple phone mount. The larger display alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.
Dash Cameras
Dash cameras finally get their due this year. Although not a safety gadget per se, the footage from a dashcam becomes invaluable when you’re in an accident or if you become a victim of road rage. Dashcam footage can be used by your insurance company and your lawyer to prove what actually happened.
You might also capture surprising moments with your dash camera. Drivers from the middle of America to Russia have caught spectacular video of meteors flying into earth’s orbit. Others have recorded trees falling during storms and accidents involving other drivers. You never know what you’ll capture with a dashcam.
Car Safety Hammer
This is one of those gadgets you’ll probably never need, could save your life if you do. If you find yourself trapped in your car after an accident, you can used the hammer’s steel points to smash through safety glass.
The hammer also includes a recessed blade designed to help cut your way out of a stuck seat belt.
Exhaust Jack
If you go off-road a lot you know the lighter your load the better. Exhaust jacks are light but if you need to change a tire on the trail, they become powerhouses. Simply inflate the jack through a hose you connect to your vehicle’s exhaust and you have a jack strong enough to lift the vehicle and change the tire. You’ll be back on the trail in no time.
Alex Perdikis, Koons of Silver Spring general manager and owner, lives in Chevy Chase with his wife and daughters.