Buying a few aftermarket extras to personalise a vehicle, improve performance, make a car more comfortable or upgrade the technology is fairly common place.
As such, there are plenty of car accessories available – however, there are equally as many that it’s probably best for motorists across Britain to avoid.
The LeaseCar.uk team have highlighted ten risky, silly or scruffy vehicle add-ons that UK drivers should steer clear of, from classic furry dice and flags to stickers and seat covers.
None of the items listed add to a driver’s enjoyment of their vehicle’s performance, but could make any car they’re fitted to a little embarrassing – or even dangerous.
- Furry dice
Anything dangling from your rear view mirror could prove a potential distraction while behind the wheel by impeding your vision, with furry dice a common culprit that add nothing worthwhile to your driving experience.
2. Eyelashes
Distinctive yet tacky and immature, embarrassing eyelashes around your car’s headlights are likely to get people judging you on the roads, but not in a good way!
3. Panel art
Spending hard earned cash on vehicle panel artwork is generally unwise as it can only be appreciated by other road users when you’re parked up and will likely become dirty easily too.
4. Seat covers
Modern cars are typically made with the comfort of drivers a top priority, so choosing to cover a plush shaped seat in an ugly, potentially uncomfortable and distracting seat cover, whatever the material, silly.
5. Boot stickers
Scruffy and vulgar in the extreme, covering your boot in stick on slogans and logos – whatever message they portray – ruins the look of a car and is unlikely to impress even your friends and family.
6. Shark teeth
Any driver who thinks that shark teeth are what their vehicle really needs to improve its aesthetics or performance would probably be better suited to playing with a child’s toy car.
7. Window flags
Not only are temporary car window flags pretty tacky, even on relevant special occasions, they can also pose a possible security risk while the vehicle is unattended, if a window must be left slightly ajar for their fitting.
8. Exhaust whistles
Motorists who’ve fitted their car with an aftermarket exhaust whistle, or other device to generate a fake sound while driving, need to realise that they really aren’t impressing anyone and probably just handing out a few headaches.
9. Tinted windows
Tinted windows should generally be reserved for important politicians, dignitaries and celebrities. Brits who fit them to their cars typically look self-important and could risk breaking the law surrounding visibility.
10. Aerial toppers
These purposeless accessories serve only to draw fellow road users attention to a vehicle owner’s immaturity, with aerial toppers proving a particular waste of money if they become dislodged and lost while a car is in motion.