The average American commuter spends about 25 minutes driving each way to work, but that’s just the average. There are about 1.7 million Americans who have grueling commutes of 90 minutes or more each way, and 2.2 million who experience a long distance commute of at least 50 miles in each direction every work day.
Combine that figure with the fact that more than half of American adults own a smartphone, and 25 percent of those specifically own an Apple iPhone, and the odds are good there are hundreds of thousands who could probably use an iPhone app to help improve their experience on the road.
For commuters who are in their car for long periods of time, iPhone apps can be a real life-saver by lessening the stress that comes with being on the road, or even by helping drivers save money by locating gas stations with the lowest fuel prices.
Waze
Waze should be an essential tool for every iOS commuter. It is a free, community-based traffic and navigation app with about 50 million users as of June 2013, when Google purchased the Israeli company for $1 billion.
Users help generate up-to-date information on traffic and road alerts. Downloading the app allows commuters and other drivers to keep on top of road conditions in real time, utilize voice-guided navigation, or join groups and share information about the commute with others. This app can save the stress of being late for work due to being stuck in a traffic jam by offering optimal routes. It can also reduce costs, with the ability to check local gas prices or find deals from businesses in the area.
RoadLoans
If you’ve been driving a gas guzzler to work, you might want to consider buying a new car that gets better gas mileage, such as a hybrid, electric car, or just something more compact. Don’t just head down to the dealership. To avoid confusion, as well as getting ripped off, it’s always a good idea to know how much you can afford to spend on monthly payments, and ensure the new vehicle you’re dreaming of will fit into your budget.
The RoadLoans app can provide an accurate estimate of your monthly payment before you start car shopping.
Once you know how much you can spend, visiting www.drivetime.com will bring you to an online loan application, no-haggle prices at a wide range of dealerships, and programs such as SmartWay. SmartWay can help ensure you’re purchasing a vehicle that will fit into a more eco-friendly lifestyle, reducing carbon emissions, and saving fuel costs.
Swell
Swell Radio is similar to Pandora. It lets you listen to personalized audio news and information for free from your iPhone. It was unveiled just this June and customizes news based on listener preferences and behavior. Its wide range of radio content partnerships include NPR, ABC News, and American Public Media, in addition to podcast partnerships with ESPN, BBC, TED Talks, Comedy Central, and others.
ACar
Commuting can be rough on any vehicle. ACar is one of the best apps for helping you to keep your vehicle well-maintained. It allows you to track and record gas mileage, maintenance, services, expenses, and trip details. This is also handy for those who make frequent business road trips in order to keep necessary information when it comes to tax time.
The app includes reminders and alerts for things such as engine oil and air filter changes or maintenance checks.