Yes, it’s dangerous to use your cell phone while driving, and it’s often illegal. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a few essential driving apps. You can always hand your phone to a passenger, right? Here are some of the best apps that everyone who drives a car should have on their phone.
GasBuddy; Free
You know how crazy expensive gas prices are, and they don’t show any signs of going down. Everyone wants to save money on gas, and one way to do that is to frequent the cheapest gas station near you. Whether you’re at home or on the road, GasBuddy will tell you gas prices at local stations, and it will let you know where to find the lowest price. This is the best app for locating cheap gas.
You can also help the GasBuddy community by reporting the gas prices you see, and when you do you’ll receive entries into weekly drawings for cash prizes.
RoadAhead Highway Exit Finder; Free
When you’re driving on any major U.S. highway, it can get boring fast. And when you’re not familiar with the area, it can also be difficult to navigate. It’s important to take breaks, and someone in the car will always end up being hungry, needing coffee, or having to use the restroom.
RoadAhead will let you know what stores, rest areas, restaurants, hotels, and gas stations you can find off the upcoming exits. You don’t have to worry about missing cheap gas prices or finding a convenient place to stop.
CarRentals; Free
Whether you’re on vacation or your car is in the shop, sometimes you need to drive a car that isn’t your own. The CarRentals app powered by CarRentals.com will search more than 15,000 car rental agencies to help you find the closest available cars and the best deals.
You can search by airport, zip code, city, or with your phone’s GPS. CarRentals also makes it easy for you to instantly book your car, communicate with the agency, and manage your rental straight from your phone.
Truck Stops Pro; $3.99
Truck drivers are always behind the wheel, and this is an app made especially for them.
If you drive a truck, this app will help you find nearby truck stops, rest areas, weight stations, and parking lots that might be perfect overnight parking spots. It’s a great resource to help out while on the road.
MotionX GPS Drive; $9.99 for One Year
The most essential tool for any driver is a GPS. A GPS will get you wherever you need to go, and all you have to do to find directions is input an address.
MotionX is the most popular GPS app. When you download the app for 99 cents you’ll get a 30-day free trial, afterwards you can purchase a yearly subscription for $9.99 or 30 days for $2.99. MotionX gives the best directions, has excellent voice commands, links to local searches and Wikipedia, multi-stop navigation, and monitors traffic to let you know of any potential problems along your route.
Dan Smith is a car expert and writer who works in Nissan sales. He often generates content with the intent of helping drivers with anything vehicle related.
