Whether you love your job or loathe it, daily car commutes can be exhausting! You can probably think of a million things you’d rather be doing with your time besides sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. But since the daily commute is part of what pays the bills, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try to make the most of it.
Add these seven things to your car to take advantage of your morning and evening drive:

Smartphone Holder

Texting and driving is dangerous, and there are plenty of stats to prove it. More cities are going hands-free, which makes now the perfect time to invest in a smartphone holder that can help you keep both hands on the wheel without putting away your screen when you need it most.

A smartphone holder lets you use the navigation or other essential apps without occupying your hands.

Let’s be honest: there are times when we need to sneak a peek at our phones while driving. You might need to pull up navigation to find you the fastest route home due to traffic. Or you might have an important call that can’t wait until you get to your destination.
Whatever the reason, a smartphone holder can help you drive smarter without sacrifice. There’s never any worry that you might drop your phone while driving and it getting stuck somewhere out of your reach. Some holders clip to the air vent, while others attach to the windshield via suction cup. Whatever style you prefer, you’ll be glad to keep your screen in view so you can take care of business when you need to.
Just remember not to let your phone distract you on the road.

Charging Cable

Charging cable is an essential item to have in your car during your daily commute.

Speaking of needing your cell phone in the car, it’s a good idea to buy an extra charging cable and keep it stashed in your automobile. There’s nothing worse than having a low or dead battery if you get stranded. Plus, you can use all that dead wait time in traffic to charge up your phone for a fun night out after work.

Car Cleaning Wipes

Be honest: when is the last time you gave your car’s interior a good cleaning? Keeping your car’s dashboard free of dust doesn’t just make your car look nice and fresh, but can also do your health a favor. No one wants to sit in a dusty car for an hour or more every day, plus all that dust ends up getting blown around when you turn on the A/C.
Instead, keep a small case of car cleaning wipes in your center console to give your car a quick wipedown every now and then. Not only will they make your car sparkle, they also help to clean all the main surfaces you touch, including the cup holders, door handles, steering wheel, and controls. This is especially beneficial during cold and flu season, when germs abound.
You don’t have to go into too much detail � a five-minute cleaning job every week can do wonders for your car’s interior and make it smell nice, too!

Travel Mug

Whether winter or summer, you want to keep a travel mug around on your daily car commute. The benefits of having one are abundant. Making it a habit to refill the mug before your commute ensures you will stay hydrated during your drive. And of course, you can fill it with your favorite coffee (or any other non-alcoholic beverage of your choice). Not to mention it’s good for the environment – travel mugs are washable, so you are reducing your ecological footprint by using less disposable paper/plastic cups!

Stay hydrated on your daily car commute with a travel mug on hand.

Some coffee shops are even offering discounts if you provide your own cup, so check out your local cafes for some sweet deals.

Car Trash Can/Bag

No one enjoys driving around in a car full of trash, but all those used napkins, tissues, papers, and to-go cups from lunch can add up quickly! And sometimes, you end up with more trash than you can carry with both hands. Instead, keep a small trash bag or can within arm’s reach to collect all the bits of trash you accumulate each day. Make it a point to empty the trash can when it gets full so it doesn’t end up in the backseat or on the floor.

Audio Services Subscription

If you’re going to be spending some time in your car each day, you might as well have your favorite tunes to keep you company. For daily car commuters, it’s often worthwhile to pay for a music subscription service that will let you play your favorite music from your device or even the built-in apps in your car.
Alternatively, you can invest in an audiobook platform subscription plan to listen to your favorite e-books while you travel to and from work. Many people use this time to get their daily inspiration that can help them arrive at work ready to take on the toughest challenges.

BlackVue Dash Cam

Dash cams like the BlackVue DR900S-2CH are becoming more commonplace in cars for a myriad of reasons. For starters, they capture all the action of your drive to and from work (both in front of and behind you). And since you never know what you’ll see on your morning or evening commute, you might find some sweet footage worth sharing with your friends.

Having a BlackVue dashcam installed can give you a peace of mind during your daily car commute.

But more importantly, rush hour traffic is a recipe for disaster. In bumper to bumper traffic, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets involved in an accident. Hopefully, that person will never be you, but in the event you do become involved, it can be helpful to have a dash cam capture the moment in case the other driver tries to flee the scene or they pin the blame on you.
Having proof on hand will make it easier to process your insurance claim and make it easier on the responding traffic officers.

For more traffic inspiration, head back to our blog.