With the fast-changing world of communication technology available today, gone are the days of travelling with a map book (if you are doing holiday or long-distance travel) and communicating from a phone booth at a roadside restaurant or hotel. Today, we navigate, communicate, and entertain ourselves electronically from the comfort of our seats and with direct efficiency and results. Here is a list of the most important electronic tools to have with you on the road:
– Mobile phone communication is virtually standard in South Africa, and you will not be travelling without your mobile phone. For safety and in compliance with road traffic ordinances, as a driver, your mobile communication must be hands-free, so you should look into installing a hands-free system in your car.
– Navigation today is electronically aided, and you should have a navigational system in your vehicle. Today, these are not just used for directional indication. Live traffic update systems allow you to be directed to your destination by avoiding areas of traffic congestion and accident warning, as well as road policing points, getting you to your destination in the shortest possible time.
– In-car entertainment is now a given when traveling on holiday or with the children for a weekend away. Mobile DVD players are popular, and a range of movies can be viewed on board. Alternatively, you can buy a touchscreen LCD with VGA for in-car entertainment too.
– Digital and portable music systems are always good to have. You can look at a 2-in-1 Bluetooth stereo audio receiver and transmitter for your speakers, on-board TV, mobile phone, and MP3 player.
– Buy an FM transmitter if you don’t have an AUX input into your car radio. This will deliver your iPod’s tunes over an FM frequency to your car stereo for on-demand tunes over a good audio system.
– You might also want to get a mobile digital TV receiver that connects to your car’s existing DVD player and can decode MPEG-2 and 4. Choose one with an HDMI output, a port for PVR, and duel tuner.
– For those times when you are unsure if you are safe to drive, you can have a digital alcohol tester in your car for peace of mind.
– You will need to charge these devices so why not have a power inverter in your car that turns 12v DC current into 220V AC current? You can charge and run your tablets and other devices while driving.
– Alternatively, you can buy a cigarette lighter-driven USB charger that will allow you to charge any of your electronic devices.
– For motoring safety, you can take a portable emergency jump starter in case your battery runs dead during the night.
Image by mroach under Creative Commons license.