Driving has taken a big part of our lives, taking into consideration the amount of time we spend in traffic every day. The studies actually show that on average we spend around 4.5 years of our lives in the car, and almost 40 hours per month in traffic jams at rush hour. But how can we turn this lost amount in a somewhat productive time? It is the 21st century and we have technology at every step, so we can use it in our benefit, even while driving. Now, we do not suggest you use your smartphone or tablet while driving, but running some apps in the background while you focus on the road is better than just staring at the the car in front of you and honking in the hope the line will go faster.
If anything, driving apps can help you find the easiest and fastest path, offer you updates on the changes that have been made to the streets, track down the obstacles on your way, teach you a thing or 2 on personal development or offer you information on something related to your profession. There are also some apps that can help you relax by playing some smooth music or you can listen to an audio book a TED talk, or generally have fun. There actually are some apps that can keep you safe while driving. Having safety behind the steering wheel has become harder and harder since it doesn’t only depend on your set of skills, abilities and attention. There can be other dangers ahead that you may not be aware of and even the simplest distractions can cause a lot of trouble.
The most interesting part about apps is that they have been making our lives easier, not only when driving, but in other situations as well. Apps and software in general became a very profitable business and, at the same time, a very useful service that people can rely on. You can get informed on how they work, who makes them and how they help if you read here. You should know that all of these apps work on certain algorithms (depending on what their purpose is) that can solve some issues or make them somewhat independent in order to help you in your everyday life, business management and many other situations. This is also the purpose of the driving apps that can turn this experience in a more pleasant one, so here are a few of the most successful ones that you can find in both Android and iOS stores.
Waze
This is a very successful and efficient replacement of the eternal Maps and what is great about it, besides getting it for free in both Google Play and App Store, is that you can update the traffic info in real time and see other updates yourself. It is basically a navigation app that works like a GPS and it is very helpful in terms of avoiding police and traffic jams caused by various issues like accidents, street or road work. This app also recalculates the route based on all of these impediments.
Parkify
Have you ever forgot where you parked your car? Don’t worry it happens to everybody. The worst thing is when you actually have an app for that, but you forget to turn it on and mark your car on the map, so the problem is not solved. This one, however, does not require that because it uses the sensors in your phone and marks the parking spot itself, so you don’t have to bother remembering to do it yourself.
Audible
This app is one of those things that help you fructify the long time that you spend in traffic. By subscribing to it, you will have audiobooks to listen to on every subject you are interested in and the best thing is that you don’t have to only use it while driving. Listening to books successfully replaces reading that takes more time and requires more visual attention and is the new way of getting information or relax by getting into a good book. This app offers one free book every month and if you don’t like one that you already own you can swipe it for free as well.
Headspace
If you had a hard day at work and you can’t stand listening to radio music or books because of all the accumulated tension, this app can help you relax a little through mindfulness. It can help you calm down, get inside yourself and actually pay more attention to the road, which will increase your own safety. It works wonders on the general state of mind and well-being, not only behind the steering wheel, but also at home or anywhere else. It is a free app that offers guided or non-guided exercises.
Gas Buddy
By using this app, you can save some money on your gas budget. But how does it work? All you have to do is use the app to track down the gas stations that offer cheaper fuel. You can set up some filters on prices, distance or brand (if you prefer a certain one) and you can also read or add reviews, so you will know in advance what you will find when you arrive. It is a community app, where people can contribute by adding their personal input on the matter and it also has some competitions that offer free gas as a price.
Speedometer
This app is very useful in tracking down your speed if you are not sure that the one that is built in the car is working properly. It also helps you calculate the average or highest speed since a certain point and it also offers speed alerts in certain areas. Speedometer can be used as a navigation app (like all the other GPS apps) as well and to calculate the distance that has been traveled.
