Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/118157
DriveSmart: Auto Download Apps make driving cheaper, greener and safer F or drivers who find themselves musing, "I wish there were an app for that" – well, there probably is or very shortly will be. In fact, if you're the proud owner of a new, high-end, high-tech vehicle, in-car apps for safety and economy tips, vehicle diagnostics and remote access have likely been built in. For the rest of us, inexpensive apps are just a download away. Want to save money on gas, reduce emissions or track mileage and maintenance costs? There's an app for that; there's even one to help track your car. And these are just the start. Car Care (iPhone: $2.99) reminds motorists when to change the oil and rotate the tires. Poynt helps drivers find the nearest gas station and – of equally vital importance – the nearest Starbucks or latest restaurant (iPhone, Android, Blackberry: free); so does AroundMe (iPhone, iPad, Android: free). As for downloading the new, free, all-inone BCAA-Roadside-Assistance-MembersSavings-TripTik-and-More app, what are you waiting for? (See bcaa.com/mobile) Of course, Westworld also has a host of clear favourites when it comes to the latest round of targeted apps geared to one specific, useful, on-theroad-related task. So here's our five top picks – well worth the download to get you started on that next roadtrip. –Lisa Ricciotti Jupiter Images/Getty, GasBuddy.com p48-49_DriveSmart.indd 49 Applause-o-Meter • GREENMETER Consider it your personal eco-driving coach: GreenMeter's instant feedback reveals just how much your lead foot is costing you, with coloured graphs that pinpoint the gas-guzzling impact of jackrabbit starts and pushing the speed limit. Mounted for safe viewing on the road, the phone app also helps monitor a vehicle's most efficient cruising speed; or, review the stats post-trip. The GreenMeter website claims the app has "likely saved about two million gallons of gas . . . and prevented almost 47,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere" since its September 2008 launch. iPhone, iPod Touch: $5.99 • ROADTRIP Anyone claiming vehicle expenses for work can save hard-copy receipts and enter into Excel, but that's so five years ago. Instead, Road Trip displays a vehicle's vital stats on one screen: minimum, maximum and average fuel price per litre; total distance driven; total fuel used; average cost per day; plus, the app tracks maintenance expenses and the overall costs of roadtrips. As for hard-copy records for accounting purposes, just export the data to any PC or Mac. iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Road Trip Lite: free. Full-featured: $4.99. Android alternative: aCar; free at zonewalker.com/acar • TAKE ME TO MY CAR You can always try finding your vehicle with its remote key opener, though that doesn't always work in mammoth parkades. But now you can always find your way back by simply tapping in your vehicle's location before walking away from it. Simply open the app and, voila! Walking directions back to your vehicle. iPhone: free. Android alternative: ParkDroid; free. TH THE GASBUDDY Af free app that com compares gas prices in 2 244 Canadian and Am American cities — and finds the nearest gas station. • GASBUDDY It's particularly frustrating to fill up, then discover a gas station just a few blocks away that's $.05/litre cheaper. Or, when you can't collect CAA Dollars because you can't find the nearest Husky & Mohawk station. But GasBuddy helps solve both issues. By collecting pricing from a network of volunteers, the app provides gasoline comparison-pricing in 244 Canadian and American cities — and lists the nearest stations, too. iPhone, Android, Blackberry: free. • POCKET PARKING METER It's easy to program your iPhone to ring for when your car's parking metre will expire. But why bother when there's an app for that? And, Pocket Parking Meter has other advantages: a series of heads-up reminders before your meter expires; and it's just $.99. iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad. —L.R. WESTWORLD >> S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 49 4/26/12 11:37:18 AM