The advancement of mobile technology has aided us in many parts of our lives – making all sorts of day-to-day tasks that little bit easier. One of these areas, specifically being during road-trips and during driving. Not only has the technology available to us improved the way we drive – but also the quality of our driving and our efficiency.

Here are some great apps out there available at the moment:

MotionX GPS Drive

MotionX GPS Drive is an app which you download straight onto your mobile. Whilst many TomTom’s and SatNav’s will set you back around £50- £100, this nifty little app will only let you back 99p. What a bargain! It includes address book integration and iPod integration (so you can listen to your music on the go too) all the while, using the app.

Google Earth

Google Earth sounds like a weird thing to have helped in driving – but being able to access Google Earth on your phone have revolutionised the way we find locations. There’s only so much you can actually gather from a map – and being able to look at street view – gives us so much more detail and information. Being able to see the actual building (and not just it’s address) makes a huge difference.

Yelp

Yelp is something you’re likely to use if you’re in a new city and want to track down a local point of interest, or perhaps a restaurant or toilet. It brings traditional maps into the modern day – and means you’re no longer driving around city for hours trying to find the best restaurant or nearest curry house. Using Yelp means you’re shown straight up just how close it is – and what else is in the vicinity.

Waze Navigation

Waze Navigation is a GPS system perfect for those with Androids rather iPhone and iPads. The Waze app is just as good as any iPhone navigation system and provides you with seamless pre-planned routes to your destination. It’s also a social driving experience – meaning that you’ll get alerts through if other others have reported traffic problems, road closures or incidents. This means you’ll not only save yourself time – but you’ll save money on petrol (by taking the most efficient route). Sounds good to us! And it’s FREE!

CoPilot GPS

CoPilot GPS is a free app for GPS and Android and lets you access maps, navigation info and direction…. Without WiFi access. This is great for those who are abroad (and don’t want to turn on their roaming) meaning you can be a confident driver abroad as well as at home. It’s super smart and super handy.

Of course – mobile technology isn’t just useful for finding your way around, there is also a big safety issue too, and believe it or not – there are apps out there that can make you a safer driver and can potentially get you out of a sticky spot should one ever occur.

iTorch

iTorch is a handy app to download – should you ever need a torch whilst driving. Perhaps you’ve broken down at night-time, perhaps you’ve lost something down the seat, or perhaps you need some help seeing the engine. Either way – this little miracle worked will be so handy.

Another handy app, for those sticky situations would be the RepairPal app – a great run through of the basic car-mishaps and how you can solve them yourself. Or you can call for help through the app and get a quote of what the work will cost. Perfect for those times when you don’t have any roadside contact details to hand.

Many thanks to Sixt for producing this benefits list; remember to use your mobile for the right purpose when driving, do not get distracted but do use in case of an emergency!