Three Ways to Increase Driver Awareness with Garmin
The fatality rate for car crashes in the United States in 2021 was approximately 10.5% higher than the year before — and the highest number of fatalities since 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It’s a surprising statistic. Instead of becoming safer, driving is getting markedly less so as the years pass.
But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Setting yourself up with the right equipment before you ever leave your driveway can help increase your peace of mind while on the road. Not sure where to start? Here’s what we recommend.
A GPS navigator
Distracted driving is dangerous, both for you and those around you. A Garmin GPS navigator, such as those in the Garmin DriveSmart™ series, can help with that. From a large, bright, high-resolution touchscreen display to hands-free calling and voice assist — which responds to spoken requests and tells you directly where you need to go — the Garmin DriveSmart GPS navigators are easy to use and help ensure you know where you’re going without requiring a bunch of fiddling around to figure it out.
Even better? Driver alerts can alert you of upcoming speed changes, sharp curves, railroad crossings and more. And you can use the Garmin Real Directions™feature for easy-to-understand, spoken directions that tell you when and where to turn just like a friend would. No more trying to recall clever mnemonics for cardinal directions. Instead, just “turn right after Tom’s Auto Body.”
A backup camera
Situational awareness is critical when attempting to safely get from point A to point B — and it often starts with simply backing out of your driveway. A Garmin backup camera can help immensely and is an easy way to add useful technology to any vehicle if your car didn’t come with a backup camera or if the video quality on your factory-installed solution isn’t great. With high-definition resolution and a wide field of view, your Garmin backup camera pairs wirelessly with your compatible Garmin navigator to show you what’s behind your vehicle when you shift into reverse, whether it’s a pedestrian or a bicycle someone forgot to put away. The Gamin BC™ 40 series of backup cameras are battery-powered and can be easily installed within minutes. Or, if you drive a longer vehicle, like an RV or a truck and trailer, the Garmin BC 50 backup camera series is compatible with up to 50’ of true wireless working range and has the option of night vision to help maximize visibility when reversing at night.
A dash cam
We don’t like to picture the worst-case scenario, but the reality is that accidents do happen. If you’re the victim or the witness of a traffic accident, a dash cam1 that captures high-resolution video of the incident can be invaluable. The Garmin Dash Cam 47, 57 and 67W models can capture critical details with built-in GPS to show where certain events occurred. They also offer wide fields of view and the ability to listen to hands-free spoken commands. On select dash cams, you can even access advanced driver awareness features like forward collision and lane departure warnings2. A little added awareness never hurts.
Ready to hit the road with more confidence? Shop the Garmin line of automotive products here to take the doubt out of driving.
1Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit use of this device. It is your responsibility to know and comply with applicable laws and rights to privacy in jurisdictions where you plan to use this device.
2Certain conditions may impair the warning function; visit Garmin.com/warnings for details
