Years ago, cars were exclusively a mode of transport, with few features beyond style, comfort, and quality of the engine. While these things are still important today, technology has also advanced, and it would be nice to align your car with your technological life, regardless of how old your car is. Below are 16 tech gadgets that will improve the look, driving experience, or safety of your vehicle.

1. Key tracker

It is pretty much a guarantee that you will misplace your car keys at some point. Whether you will spend five minutes or 30 minutes looking for them, it is time lost and anxiety created. However, you don't have to lose your wits every time you lose your car keys, given there are several reliable key trackers available in the market. You just need to attach a Bluetooth-enabled key finder to your car keys, and you can easily pinpoint their location with the help of an app on your phone.

2. Dash Camera

It wasn’t until a few years ago that drivers started caring more about capturing what happens on the road. Dash cams have become a common tool for car owners to fix to their dashboards. Sticking a dash cam to your dashboard means you can record a memorable drive on your road trips, monitor your teen's driving behavior, and it is also an extra level of security against thieves.
To always know where you are, invest in a dash cam with GPS as location information is so important.
However, the most important reason to install a dash cam is to provide protection in case of an accident. While it won't protect you physically, it will provide evidence to authorities and insurance companies regarding how the accident occurred.

3. Backup camera

Since 2018, all cars sold in Canada are required to have a reverse backup camera. You are exempt from this rule if your car is older, but it wouldn't cost you much to install it as an extra safety feature. Reverse cameras provide lines which help you to stay on course. They also provide proximity detection, which helps you to know how close you are to a wall or any other obstruction.

4. LED lights

Innovative technology and improved driver's awareness has made modern driving less dangerous. For instance, car lights help to improve road safety. They make your car visible at night, and other road users can easily see your car.

One type of car lights that are exceptionally popular these days are the automotive LED lights. They offer brighter illumination, use less energy, produce less heat, and lower maintenance costs in the long run. What's more, underglow and interior LED lights will make your car look beautiful. LED lights come in various styles, and you can choose a style that matches your taste. You can buy installation packages from reputable sellers like XK Glow at affordable prices and do the installation on your own.

5. Bluetooth adapter

In the last decade or so, people depended on CDs for musical entertainment in their cars. Unfortunately, if you own an older car, it doesn't have the kind of technology that will allow you to enjoy media from modern devices. This is where a Bluetooth kit can help. You don't have to buy a new vehicle to be able to connect your smartphone to your car via Bluetooth. A Bluetooth adapter helps you play music and receive calls from your vehicle's speaker hands-free.

6. Smartphone mount

Do you want less stressful navigation? Get a smartphone mount. You don't have to be constantly looking down at your smartphone for directions. A smartphone mount helps to keep Apple Maps or Google Maps in a place where you can easily see them.

Not all cars come with the latest, greatest tech, and a lot of people still drive older, pre-tech cars. However, this isn’t to say you can't install fancy safety gadgets because you drive an older car.

You can't drive with flat tires, and if you do, you wouldn't go far until your tires are completely damaged. Sometimes your tires could be going flat slowly, and it might be hard for you to notice. This results in more fuel consumption and ruins your tires as well. Tire pressure is important for safety and fuel economy, and that's why you should consider installing a Smart Tire Safety Monitor. It provides real-time alerts of low pressure and slow tire leaks. This way, you save on fuel, prevent tire damage or possible blowout.

7. Smart Tire Safety Monitor

Not all cars come with the latest, greatest tech, and a lot of people still drive older, pre-tech cars. However, this isn’t to say you can't install fancy safety gadgets because you drive an older car.

You can't drive with flat tires, and if you do, you wouldn't go far until your tires are completely damaged. Sometimes your tires could be going flat slowly, and it might be hard for you to notice. This results in more fuel consumption and ruins your tires as well. Tire pressure is important for safety and fuel economy, and that's why you should consider installing a Smart Tire Safety Monitor. It provides real-time alerts of low pressure and slow tire leaks. This way, you save on fuel, prevent tire damage or possible blowout.

8. Smart car adapter

Have you ever wandered in a parking lot trying to look for your car? With a smart car adapter, that could be a thing of the past. A smart car adapter comes with functions such as location, automatic car finder, and mileage log. It can also diagnose engine problems, remember where you last parked, and can call for help in case you are involved in a crash. What's more, you can connect a smart car adapter to Amazon Echo and do such things as asking Alexa how much fuel you need or the number of miles you did last week.

9. Smart air purifier

A new car smells good, right? This won't last long if you don't keep your interior clean. Although vehicles have cabin air filtration in place, they will still smell and feel musty after a couple of years. It is not only an unpleasant smell but it also means that the air you are breathing is not very healthy. An air purifier can solve this for you, especially if your car is old with an inevitably older air filtration system. A smart air purifier eliminates chemical pollutants and toxic gases. It also indicates how clean the air in the car is.

10. Mobile WiFi hotspot

Nowadays, people require connectivity wherever they go, whether it’s the office, at home, at a coffee shop, on planes, at the mall - and particularly in the car. Modern cars come with WiFi hotspot capability. You can still stay connected wherever you go, even if your car does not have WiFi built-in. A mobile WiFi hotspot is a dedicated solution to bring reliable and convenient connectivity to your car.

11. Drop stop

A drop stop may be a simple gadget, but it's extremely useful. It's fitted between the center console and the driver's seat. With it, you will no longer keep dropping things in that annoying crevice again.

12. Blind spot indicator

You don't have to be an expert in cars to know that most car mirrors have blind spots. In the United States, there are over 840,000 blind-spot related accidents every year. A blind spot indicator is simply a light that flashes when there is an object in your blind spot. Most modern cars provide blind-spot detection.

If your car doesn't provide blind spot detection, you can get a blind spot mirror. It is affordable and will help to improve your safety. They are particularly useful in towns where you could easily miss seeing a cyclist or a pedestrian in your blind spot.

13. Radar detector

You shouldn't speed, but sometimes you have to out of necessity. To avoid getting speeding tickets, get yourself a radar detector. They can detect when the police are using a radar nearby. This gives you time to respond accordingly.

14. A heads-up display

Most modern luxury cars come with heads-up displays usually fixed on the windshield. They show information on things such as the route, speed limit, and navigation. However, you don't have to buy a new car to use this technology. You can purchase an after-market gadget to give your vehicle a heads-up display.

15. CarMoji

Even if you use several tech gadgets, you may still not have the most advanced car, but you can be the most respectful driver on the road with CarMoji. It is a great car accessory that allows you to express yourself on the road. For instance, when you do something wrong on the road, you can apologize by pushing a remote button that lights up a smiley emoji on your back window. It let's other road users know it wasn't intentional.

16. Car health monitor

There are several warning lights on your dashboard that alerts you in case something is wrong with your car. The problem is that these lights can be pretty vague, and most likely, you will be required to see your mechanic to determine the exact cause of the problem. But the good news is that you can save your trip to your mechanic by purchasing a smart car health monitor. With it, you can diagnose most issues even with little knowledge about cars.

Installing this tech in your car won't make it as inherently advanced as the ones being produced today. However, implementing some of these gadgets into your vehicle will definitely enhance your driving experience and improve safety.