As liberating and enjoyable as it can be, working as a taxi driver means putting in lots of miles, driving at unsociable hours and dealing with difficult passengers. If there’s a way of making your work easier, you’re more than entitled to take advantage of it.
When it comes to aiding your taxi driving, the best type of car and technology can offer all types of assistance – before, during and after your shift.
In this article, we’ll highlight some of the top car gadgets on the market right now and how they can be put to good use. Some might even help bring down the price of your taxi insurance premiums…
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Dashcam
Let’s start with the insurance-friendly gadget we were alluding to – a dashcam.
If you have a dashcam, which are also known as in-car camera recorders, installed in your car, you may be eligible for a discount when buying taxi insurance.
Even if your insurer doesn’t offer a discount, you should still pick one up because they have been shown to be useful safety features on commercial vehicles for some time now, with video evidence proving many drivers’ safety and skills behind the wheel.
When it comes to which one to buy, our advice would be to get a camera with a dual lens – like this one from Amazon – which is able to record what goes on inside your taxi, as well as the road in front of you.
You’ll be surprised how well behaved unruly passengers are once they know they’re being filmed.
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Wireless car charger
In the past you would’ve seen a satellite navigation system appear on this list – but most taxi drivers these days are using their phone’s GPS technology to get them to where they need to be.
The only downside of this is that using the GPS can drain your phone’s battery. But that’s not a problem as long as you have a wireless car charger fixed in your cab.
Not only does it need to charge your phone, however, it needs to hold it in place so that you can read the navigation instructions.
So, ensure any wireless charger you buy can be mounted to the dashboard like this one. And make sure that the charger is compatible with your smartphone.
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Digital tyre inflator
Time is money, especially when you’re a taxi driver. You don’t want to be off the road for any great length of time, unless it’s absolutely necessary. A flat tyre is one issue that could potentially force you to miss out on a couple of hours of trade – but not if you have a digital tyre inflator.
As long as there is no serious damage to the tyre’s structure, which would make it dangerous to drive on, you could have a flat tyre inflated within three minutes with a rapid digital tyre inflator like this one from Halfords.
Never miss out on a fare again because of a flat.
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Blind spot mirror
This is the cheapest gadget on our list – but it could end up saving you a pretty penny.
When you’re spending all your time in your car, it’s easy to get complacent from time to time and make a manoeuvre without paying due care and attention.
But by installing a blind spot mirror onto your wing mirror, you’re improving your visibility of the road and its users.
A pair of convex rear-view blind spot mirrors can be picked up for under £5. Money well spent if you ask us.
It also says to your passengers and other drivers that you make safety a priority in your cab.
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Alcohol breathalyser
As a taxi driver, you have to take extra caution to ensure that you’re not driving over the legal alcohol limit, which could result in a ban.
In England and Wales, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.
There is no fool-proof way of drinking and staying under the drink drive limit. So, if you enjoy an alcoholic drink, you should seriously consider investing in a breathalyser.
You can pick one up for around £40, allowing you to find out your level of alcohol intoxication in seconds.
It goes without saying that you should never take chances with your life and those of others.
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Food tray
Not all gadgets have to be super high-tech.
If you find yourself eating your breakfast, lunch and dinner in the driver’s seat, make it a more pleasurable and less messy experience by investing in a tray table.
This one on Amazon attaches to your steering wheel.
Boasting a slim design, it can easily be stowed away into the passenger footwell (as long as nobody is sat there obviously) or in the boot.
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Handheld vacuum cleaner
Speaking of crumbs, it’s important that you keep your taxi looking spic and span for your passengers – and for yourself, as the car is your workstation – so you should think about giving it a good vacuum every few days.
To make cleaning your vehicle that bit easier, get yourself a handheld vacuum cleaner.
This one from Black & Decker has a 1.5m hose, which makes it easy to get into the hard-to-reach places.
Why not consider reading our recent blog on our top car washing products to keep your taxi clean for more tips?
Protect your cab with taxi insurance
Once you’ve packed your taxi with some of the best gadgets on the market, it’s time to get some taxi insurance.
Here at Taxi Insurer, we can help you find a taxi insurance policy that suits your needs and we can work out a payment plan to make your payments manageable alongside all your other business expenses.
Benefits of arranging taxi insurance through Taxi Insurer can include:
- Unique rates for public and private hire vehicles
- Interest-free payment plans
- Low deposits
- Public Liability cover
- Employer’s Liability cover
With Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft, and Third party only cover available, get a quick quote for taxi insurance today.