3 Car Accessories to Ignore
Cars are a reflection of our personalities, so it’s no surprise that we love to customize them. Whether it’s a carbon fiber gearshift or aftermarket spoiler, there are plenty of ways to make your car stand out from the rest.
But sometimes, add-ons can be dangerous. Here are three automobile accessories that should be avoided:
1. Lift kits. Although they can transform your standard pickup truck into something that looks like it just left the monster truck rally, it’s a risky addition. The higher the center of gravity in a vehicle, the more likely it is to flip. Studies show that raising a truck suspension by just four inches increases its likelihood of flipping by more than 30 percent.
2. Dash-mounted TV screens. Watching TV is no longer an activity limited to our living rooms, but watching in your car can be lethal. Although aftermarket screens allow you to install a TV in your dash (where a radio or GPS might be), these screens were actually only designed for passenger and backseat entertainment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blames up to 30 percent of all car crashes on distracted driving (ED NOTE: We could link to our Distracted Driving Infographic), and watching television in your car is unsafe for you, your passengers and other drivers.
3. Colored fog lights. Sure, they look cool, but those colored lights are a hazard to other drivers. They’re so closely linked to collisions that some states have declared them illegal. That’s because they can interfere with the vision of other drivers, creating a dangerous situation for both of you.
When you’re on the road, avoid distractions (as well as being a distraction to others) and safely get from Point A to Point B.
