No More Decor
Chances are, your car is decked out with nifty little things. Maybe you have a bobblehead on your dashboard, or a dreamcatcher hanging from your rearview mirror. Maybe you have stickers tacked to your windshield, or custom-made lights lining the interior of your vehicle. Whatever it is, cool as these decorations are, you can't deny that they can also be incredibly distracting. After all, anything that moves or blocks part of the windshield (and thus your field of vision) can make it harder to focus on what's happening around you. If your cabin is starting to become overloaded with dangling ornaments and glowing gadgets, you might want to reconsider having these 20 accessories cluttering your car.
1. Oversized Rearview Mirror Charms
While small charms might be harmless, hanging up large decorations from your rearview mirror can be incredibly distracting, as they can repeatedly drift into your field of vision. Every time you turn or brake, that charm can swing in front of your face, or otherwise create movement your eyes may instinctively notice. Depending on its size and placement, it can also cover a surprising amount of the windshield.
2. Fuzzy Dice
Sure, fuzzy dice have been a recognizable car decoration for decades, but they're not really practical when you're actually driving. Like bigger decorations, their size and constant movement can interfere with visibility, particularly when they're hanging low from the mirror. They can become even more distracting when you're navigating busy intersections or checking for pedestrians.
3. Flashing LED Interior Lights
LED strips can give a car's interior a customized look, but flashing or rapidly changing settings are better saved for when you're parked. After all, those bright pulses of light can pull your attention away from the road and, after dark, they can be particularly bothersome. Strong interior lighting can also make it harder for your eyes to adjust to darker conditions outside.
4. Dashboard Bobbleheads
Who doesn't like having a cute bobblehead as a companion on their dashboard? Yet, adorable as they are, bobbleheads are designed to constantly move, which is exactly why they can become distracting behind the wheel. Even if you train yourself to stop consciously paying attention to it, the repeated motion in your peripheral vision can still compete for your attention.
5. Large Dashboard Figurines
Some drivers like to turn their dashboards into display shelves filled with toys, figurines, or collectibles. But besides potentially obstructing your view, these loose decorations can slide or fall whenever you brake or turn sharply. Anything sitting high enough on the dashboard can also make it harder to see objects close to the front of the vehicle.
6. Hanging Air Fresheners
Those cardboard trees and decorative scent bottles are convenient, sure, but the rearview mirror isn't necessarily the best place for them. As mentioned earlier, anything you hang from your rearview mirror can swing back and forth every time the vehicle changes direction. A better choice is to pick one that clips onto a vent so you're not putting another moving object in front of you.
7. Crystal Sun Catchers
Crystal ornaments can look attractive when sunlight hits them, but that same effect can cause problems while you're driving. They may, for example, scatter bright reflections around the cabin or send sudden flashes toward your eyes, which can spell out trouble on busy roadways. Those reflections can be particularly annoying when the sun is low, and visibility is already challenging.
8. Decorative Dashboard Crystals
Along with figurines and bobbleheads, loose crystals and polished stones have become popular dashboard decorations as well. But you can probably guess why you shouldn't prop them in your line of sight: their reflective surfaces can catch sunlight at unexpected angles and create glare. Plus, if they aren't secured properly, hard braking can also send them sliding across the dashboard—another distraction.
9. Phone Mounts in Bad Positions
A phone mount can actually reduce distraction when it's positioned correctly (provided, that is, you're not always glancing down at it), but placing one directly in your main field of view creates another problem. Large phones mounted near the center of the windshield can conceal your field of vision, meaning they can hide pedestrians, cyclists, and even vehicles at certain angles. Always keep the device lower and outside your primary viewing area if you don't want it interfering with your focus.
10. Giant Infotainment Screen Add-Ons
Aftermarket screens can modernize an older vehicle, which sounds cool and all, but bigger isn't automatically better. A massive display positioned prominently on the dashboard, for example, may only encourage frequent glances at the screen. Plus, their bright illumination can be especially distracting at night if it isn't properly adjusted.
11. Animated Dashboard Displays
Infotainment screens aren't the only things that can level up an older vehicle and cause distractions. Some aftermarket gadgets can also display moving graphics, equalizers, animations, or other visual effects, which can (unsurprisingly) distract you from the road. Worse yet, they don't provide much useful information, so all they really do is take your attention away from driving.
12. Decorative Steering Wheel Covers
A simple steering wheel cover is one thing, but heavily decorated versions can introduce unnecessary distractions. From rhinestones to dangling pieces and other elaborate textures, these details might be pretty to look at, but they could also make the wheel far less comfortable to grip. Anything that interferes with secure steering is an especially poor trade-off for appearance.
13. Light-Up Cup Holders
Illuminated cup holders might look impressive when you first install them, and especially so at night, but be wary of models that cycle through several colors or react to sound—they may only end up distracting you from the road. And really, who needs light-up cup holders, anyway?
14. Rearview Mirror Screens Playing Video
It sounds futuristic if you've never seen one in action before, but some replacement mirrors can contain displays for cameras and other useful driving information. Useful as it is, having video playing anywhere near your direct line of sight can make it extremely difficult to keep your attention where it belongs. Even brief glances can cause you to miss changes in traffic ahead.
15. Decorative Windshield Decals
A small sticker tucked into a corner might not cause that much trouble, but larger decals can block your line of sight. You never know if something or someone might be hiding behind that huge sticker. It's best to leave these designs on your bumper and not directly in your field of vision.
16. Photo Frames
If you frequently drive out of the city for work and for days at a time, it's understandable that you might want to keep a picture or two of your loved ones on your dashboard. But unless you have ones that are properly mounted, they might shift or swerve into your field of vision when driving. You probably also wouldn't want them to go flying and shatter if you slam on the brakes.
17. Neck Cushions
Be careful when buying neck cushions for your seat. If you don't get one that's comfortable and made properly for you and your body, you might end up with one that's cute to look at but jut into your head and shoulders whenever you drive. It's a reminder to always choose your car accessories and gear carefully!
18. Plush Toys Along the Windshield
Lining the dashboard with stuffed animals might give your car a more personalized feel, but like figurines and bobbleheads and windshield stickers, they take up valuable visual space. Not to mention, they can also shift position during sudden braking and create an additional distraction.
19. Spinning Vent Decorations
Tiny propellers, flowers, cartoon characters, and other decorations that attach to air vents might seem quirky and all, but even though they're not blocking your sight of the road, they still prove to be terrible distractions. Who wants to spend an entire drive with something spinning in your peripheral vision? You're better off sticking to stationary decorations instead.
20. Too Many Accessories at Once
Sometimes it's not just one single decoration that's the main problem, but the combination of everything together. From large hanging charms to dashboard lights, stickers, phone mounts, and toys, all of these can create a cabin filled with unnecessary (and distracting) visual activity. Remember: you're in your car to drive, so don't overload it with gadgets that only make it harder.
