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My Top Five Auto Accessories of 2022
There are thousands of auto accessories on the market! just take a look on Amazon – it’s shocking! However, what is equally shocking, depressing even, is that most of them are useless rubbish. Some are even dangerous.
Take the dip-sauce tray that clips on to your air vents, so that you can eat your junk food more easily while driving! Or the external camera monitor that is touch-screen, so that it is easily adjusted while you are motoring…
No, no, no! While you are driving, you should have both eyes on the road, not looking for dip-sauce trays, or adjusting touch-screens. You are supposed to stop your vehicle to carry out those tasks!
Dodgy Gadgets
Then, there are the ‘dodgy’ gadgets…those auto accessories that make it easier for you to get as close as possible to flout the law. I have two in mind: 1] the breathalyser that ‘is as accurate as those used by the police’, and 2] the 360 degree laser detector, that warns you when you are in danger of being caught for speeding. One, you should not be drinking any alcohol if you are driving, and two, you you are not the one in danger (of getting caught) if you are speeding, all those around you are. Don’t do it!
Top Car Accessories
I am going to assume that you have the ultimate auto accessory – a First-Aid Kit.
So, my choice of top auto accessories is as follows:
1] DASH CAM: I know that a lot of new cars come with a dash camera, but that only goes to underline how useful the motor industry thinks they are. For those who don’t know, a Dash Cam will record the view out of the front (and, often, the rear) windscreen. This provides irrefutable evidence in the case of an accident. The best models can stream the footage to the internet, and record when the vehicle is being stolen or broken into.
2] JUMP STARTER: If your car is getting on, or if it has charging problems, a car jump starter is very useful. They are relatively small, and will also charge most electronic devices. One I saw had a powerful built-in light – handy if you need to use the device in a dark lane or garage. Some have enough charge for twenty starts.
3] DIGITAL ASSISTANT: If you are a fan of Amazon’s Alexa, you will also, no doubt, get on with Chris, the auto digital assistant. Chris works like a human co-driver, in that it can give you directions, read messages and email, accept phone calls, and control the musical entertainment. it works off- as well as on-line.
4] MULTI-PURPOSE MOUNT: the best of these will hold any phone or tablet, and can be swivelled and locked into position. Most people fit them to the dashboard, which is fine, so long as they don’t obstruct your vision. It helps turn your device into a usable GPS navigation system or an entertainment centre.
5] AIR FRESHENER: these things have become quite sophisticated. The cardboard pine tree hanging from the rear-view mirror is old-hat now. Many clip onto the car’s ventilators, and use replaceable liquid canisters. Most firms have a variety of aromas – a bit like vaping, but the fumes are colourless. They are not only handy if you travel with pets, a windy partner, or eat food in your car, but they can help you stay focussed if you are travelling long distance.
There are also runners-up, which didn’t quite make it onto my list like the high technology RFID tag you can add to your key ring. If you lose your keys, you can phone it to ask where they are; the car repair kit; the car bin; or the hooks you can fit over the back of each front seat’s headrest to hang your shopping bags on.