Top car safety gadgets every motorist needs

South African motorists face all kinds of perils. From avoiding taxis to potholes, in order to get from A to B in one piece. Add phone use behind the wheel, pap tyres, and reckless driving, and it's a recipe for disaster.

Discovery Insure is all about creating safer roads, and one way of doing this is through technology. Being an innovative insurer, we encourage and reward good driving behaviour through our Vitality Drive programme. We can leverage telematics data to understand insights into the main driving risks and tailor solutions to mitigate these risks. Here are our top technology picks that every motorist needs to stay safe (and even save money).

SAFE CONNECTIVITY

Our data shows that cellphone use has the biggest impact on the likelihood of a claim, as those who claim are most likely to have used their cellphone while driving on the day of the accident. Clients are 52% more likely to have used their phone than exceed the speed limit on the day of the accident.

To avoid getting penalised (or getting in an accident), a safe phone set-up is a must. This extends beyond Bluetooth pairing; invest in a smartphone mount so that your device stays securely docked in place. Just make sure that the mount doesn't obstruct your view and you can reach it easily. If you have an iPhone, you can also use the Driving Focus function to silence or limit notifications, set up an auto-reply, or ask Siri to read message replies to you. The good news is that nearly all new cars in South Africa come standard with Apple's CarPlay or Android Auto.

TECH FOR TYRES

Proper tyre pressure should be checked regularly - at least once a month, and ideally on cold tyres. Don't forget to check your spare tyre, too. If your tyres are underinflated, your fuel consumption will jump, wear and tear will happen faster, and, at speed, heat can build up causing bursts, while overinflation reduces your tyre's lifespan and handling on wet roads can prove disastrous.

A properly inflated tyre is not only safer, but it also saves you money. An easy way to check your tyre pressure is to use a device called a digital tyre inflator; it shows your car's tyre pressure on a small screen and allows you to easily set the correct pressure. A wireless, rechargeable tyre inflator lets you pump your tyres whenever you need to - no need to go to the garage.

INVEST IN A DASH CAM

Another gadget that contributes to road safety can now be found mounted on many windscreens and comes in camera form. As soon as you turn on the ignition, the camera starts rolling and captures everything from attempted hijackings to that guy who cut you off on the highway.

Everything's usually stored on a memory card that can be removed so the data can be viewed later. Some also come with shock sensors so that if you're in an accident, the cameras automatically store the video shot at the time instead of deleting it.

Innovative telematics

Discovery Insure employs advanced telematics technology that keeps you safe and helps you be a better driver. Our Vitality Drive Sensor, is easy to install and offers state-of-the-art safety features like:

• Impact Alert - provides immediate response and medical care when your vehicle is involved in a severe accident, even if we can't get hold of you.
• Weather warnings - to send you warnings of imminent bad weather.
• Vehicle panic button - enables you to use your compatible smartphone as a panic button to request immediate assistance in the event of an emergency.

Clients on Vitality Drive can get up to R1,500 in fuel cash back each month for driving well. Drive well. Get rewarded.