9 of the most interesting mobile apps for drivers

Toss out your old atlases and paper maps, tuck your CB radio away in a corner, and get rid of those parking receipts scattered around the car, because thanks to technological progress you can have all of that and much more in one place, your smartphone. Here are the 9 most useful mobile apps for drivers:

Drivemode (available only on the Google Play store)

These days it's getting harder and harder to put our phones down. Drivemode comes to the rescue for anyone who struggles to stay offline while driving.

The app lets you use your phone through a modern eyes-free interface. Using voice commands, you can reply to text messages in apps like Messenger or WhatsApp, or use other apps such as navigation or a music player. Among its features you'll also find the option to set up automatic replies to messages you receive while driving.

Fuelio (available only on the Google Play store)

Fuel is one of the bigger expenses of running a car. If you're wondering how much you spend each month on trips to the petrol station and whether you could optimise your fuel budget, then Fuelio is the app you need.

Its key feature is tracking your fill-ups: refuelling locations are saved using your current position pulled from the GPS module. All you have to do is enter the fuel price and the amount purchased for the vehicle you set up earlier, and the app calculates everything for you. You also get access to a cost and fuel-consumption calculator for a given car. By saving your refuelling spots on a map, the app will point you to the ones where you paid the least.

Additional features of the app include the ability to save your data in the cloud and support for less common car setups, such as vehicles with two fuel tanks.

Torque (available on the Google Play and Apple Store)

Are you afraid of missing a fault in your car and the consequences that come with it? Wondering whether a minor issue that has cropped up in your vehicle calls for a trip to the garage? Or maybe you don't fully trust your mechanic? Thanks to your smartphone, you can get a preliminary diagnosis of your car (almost) for free. Of course, it won't fully replace a visit to the workshop, but in some situations it can save you from unnecessary expenses.

Getting started takes a bit of effort and a small outlay. For the app to work, you need to buy a Bluetooth adapter that plugs into your car's OBD-II interface (it uses the ELM327 microcontroller to translate the transmitted data), which you can find online for around 20 PLN. It's also worth considering upgrading the free app to its paid version (priced at about 15 PLN), for that price you get support for more onboard computers and no in-app ads.

In return you get an app that lets you monitor your car's sensor readings and engine activity. So it's a blend of a preliminary diagnosis and an analysis of how your engine is being used and how it's holding up.

Parkopedia Parking (available on the Google Play and Apple Store)

An app that helps you find car parks along with detailed information about them in over 15,000 cities across 75 countries around the world, Poland included. It features an extensive database of car parks, showing the number of spaces, parking prices and reviews from other drivers. Using GPS, it locates car parks in your immediate surroundings and plots the best route to the chosen facility. In the paid premium option, the app also offers real-time updates on space availability at selected car parks.

Skycash (available on the Google Play and Apple Store)

Skycash isn't just an app for buying train or public-transport tickets. It also lets you buy parking tickets. No more sticking parking-meter printouts behind the windscreen, digging for coins in your wallet, or wondering how much parking time to choose. With the Skycash app you pay for the actual time you park, you start the timer the moment you park and stop it when you leave your spot. The app already works in 173 cities in Poland and keeps expanding. All you need is to mark your car with a "MobiParking" sticker or note, and you can enjoy the benefits of the 21st century.

ICE, In Case of Emergency, Medical Contact Card (available on the Google Play store; on the Apple Store you'll find a similar app of the same name)

This is the kind of app we'd rather never have to use, but one that could save our health and our life. It stores all the essential information paramedics and doctors need if you become the victim of a sudden accident.

In the app you can save information about illnesses you've had, medications you take regularly or occasionally, allergies and other medical details, as well as contacts for your loved ones who should be notified about an accident.

On top of that, a special alarm button lets you send an emergency text to everyone on your contact list, including your GPS location, so that your contacts are instantly informed of a life-threatening situation along with information about your current whereabouts.

First Aid (available on the Google Play store; on the Apple Store you'll find many similar apps by this name)

A free app that serves as a compendium of knowledge on giving first aid and many other lifesaving actions, created by police officers, paramedics and firefighters. In an emergency, the app will help you administer first aid in the most common life- or health-threatening situations. Thanks to its breakdown by injury category, it lets you move quickly and smoothly through the successive stages of medical assistance.

Yanosik (available on the Play Store and Apple Store)

This is a cult app among Poles that could be described as the modern-day answer to the CB radio. With it you'll reach your destination faster and more safely. On top of that, thanks to contact between users, you get a chance to prepare for speed cameras, roadside checks, accidents or other events on the road. You'll also learn about the current traffic intensity and fuel prices at specific petrol stations. In March, the app's creators also added an extra feature for hitchhikers, allowing hitchhikers to be matched with drivers.

Google Maps (available on the Google Play and Apple Store)

When writing about mobile apps, it's impossible not to mention Google Maps. The most widely used navigation app, with reliable and continuously updated maps, lets us get around all over the world. Among its many advantages is keeping you informed about the current road situation, which helps you avoid a traffic jam or a standstill caused by an accident, and the ability to check the current opening hours of a restaurant or shopping mall. Google Maps isn't just car navigation, though, it will also plot the best route for a walk, a bike ride or a trip by public transport. For the latter, a big advantage is its constant analysis of the situation, thanks to which you'll find out when your bus is running late or whether your tram has already left.