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Personalising and accessorising your vehicle has always been popular among drivers, from adding your favourite air freshener to interior décor. More recently, new ways to organise and style your car has gained popularity across apps like TikTok, as many are looking for new hacks to spruce up their cars.
There have been over 377.8 million videos on TikTok around ‘Car Accessories Must Haves’ and there has been a stagging 4,700% increase in the last 12 months for TikTok searches for ‘Car Accessories 2024’, suggesting drivers are increasingly looking for ways to customise and organise their vehicles.
But should drivers install these car accessories? Specialist insurance broker ChoiceQuote has explored viral TikTok videos to find out whether trending car accessories benefit or hinder the driving experience.
1. Light up window decorations - Avoid
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A TikTok creator, amassed a staggering 25.2 million views and 3.8 million likes in a video where she showed herself installing a light up window decoration in one of the quarter small windows in the back of her vehicle. TikTok users took to the comments to tell the creator “now you can’t see your blind spot”. Quarter windows are typically found in older car models and provide extra visibility for drivers. Drivers might feel tempted to add a light up display to their quarter window, ChoiceQuote advises that they should avoid this at all costs. The display might seem like a unique way to customise your vehicle, it can be seen as a safety hazard and distraction to other drivers which could lead to accidents.
2. Fluffy steering wheel covers – Avoid
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Customising your steering wheel by adding a cover is a simple accessory that drivers can add to their vehicles. One video on TikTok gained over 17.1 million views, with the creator showing viewers of her new extra fluffy pink steering wheel cover. ChoiceQuote advises drivers they should avoid overly fluffy and stylised steering wheel covers that do not offer supportive grip on the wheel. Covers can make your car more stylish and provide comfort when driving, however the fluffy material used could interfere with your ability to control the wheel which could lead to safety issues when driving. The Highway Code states that it would be classed as dangerous driving if you lost control of your vehicle due to slippery grip and could lead to 11 points on your license.
When choosing a steering wheel cover, ChoiceQuote recommends that drivers choose a steering wheel cover that will provide drivers with a suitable amount of grip. Drivers should opt for leather, fabric and synthetic leather steering wheel covers depending on their style and driving needs.
3. Stanley cup holder – Safe
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Drivers will buy a cup holder extension for their car to hold a bigger drink or other items and to save space. A TikTok creator showed viewers her Stanley Cup compatible cup holder and tray add on which can hold more food when you’re driving. The video amassed over 40.5k likes with users taking to the comments telling the creator that they “must have this”. Cup holder extensions are safe and are useful to help you hold larger cups such as Stanley Cups or a larger takeaway coffee cup. The larger space will allow drivers to store more items such as your phone and snacks and keep them from rolling. Drivers should be cautious of the tray extension and should not be used while driving the vehicle to store snacks and other items.
ChoiceQuote advises that cup holder extensions are safe to add to their vehicles, drivers should be careful when eating and drinking behind the wheel, while it is legal, it could carry some careless driving penalty if it leads to distracted driving.
4. Footwell car LED lights – Safe with caution
LED lights have been popular to add ambiance to your home, there are 120,000 searches on Amazon per month. The lighting feature has become a popular accessory to add to your vehicle. Adding lights can make your vehicle more luxurious, fun and add a flare of your personality while driving and can impress passengers. The video amassed over 262k. The creator advised drivers who want to try this hack that the LED did drain the car battery, so advised drivers to be caution when installing this accessory.
LED placed in your car are generally safe if they are in areas that are not distracting such as the footwell and underneath seats. Drivers should maintain caution if they add this accessory to their vehicle, as according to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989, LED lights must not dazzle or cause distraction to other drivers [4]. The LED must not be red as this can only be used at the rear of your car, white lights at the front and blue lights are only permitted for emergency vehicles. Drivers must also ensure that their LED lights comply with MOT test requirements and may need approval for safety from your insurance provider [5]. Not becoming compliant with these regulations could result in penalties, fines and in extreme cases vehicle confiscation.
Phil Leese, Specialist Motor Trading Manager, at specialist insurance broker ChoiceQuote comments: “Adding car accessories to your vehicle is a great way to not only personalise your car to your own style but it can add extra convenience and storage. Some of these car accessories that have gained popularity on TikTok may not be worth the investment as they could lead to distracted driving which could result in penalty points, fines and invalidating insurance.
Drivers should be cautious when adding accessories to their vehicles as they might not be as safe and aid the driving experience as they thought. If you are unsure if a car accessory is distracting it is best to avoid adding the accessory altogether.”
