Whether you use your car for business or leisure – or both – being able to drive safely and keep up-to-date with the other areas of your life can be crucial to getting through the day.

Picking up mates, or taking the kids to ballet, football or sleepovers, all demand peak performance from the nominated driver for an evening out on the town – or the taxi service of mum and dad.

Now apps make checking on the weather or road ahead an integral part of your driving duties – and you can keep in touch with the gang or pick up messages from the kids as you drive without having to pull over, slow down or risk an accident by fumbling for the right button on your mobile phone.

Here are six of the best apps for car drivers:

Google Places app is a great way to navigate round unknown territory like a new city or when you are on holiday. If you are looking for an hotel, restaurant, bank or filling station, look no further than Google’s app maps. Users can rate the places they find to help other users find the best in town.

Text’nDrive app is for Android and iPhone and costs nothing for the basic version and $5.49 for the Pro version with more features. The app allows drivers to listen to text messages as they drive and reply to messages or write new ones by dictating aloud using speech to text technology. The Pro version lets drivers reply verbally to messages and offers more voice commands and unlimited voice-to-message texting.

Trapster app is available for Android and iPhone/iPad free of charge and warns drivers of up and coming speed cameras, red lights and any existing road accidents along your route. Trapster also offers live traffic updates to help you avoid traffic jams and road accidents. Drivers can check their speed and current speed limits – and report any road “traps” like speed cameras they come across. There is also an online app called TrapMap so you can report any road traps online.

Snarl Traffic app is for Android ($0.99) or iPhone/iPad (free) and warns drivers of any snarl up on the road ahead from their current location. There is another app called Vic Traffic, which is similar, but not really practical for driving because of the text density. Snarl Traffic can access urban road cameras quickly to display snarl ups in the city centre and also updates any drivers as radio traffic reports come in.

Anti Sleep Pilot app acts as a dig in the ribs for iPhone ($1.99) drivers when they start to feel tired at the wheel. The app monitors the driver’s reaction time over a series of basic tests as they drive. The app works when the driver presses a large button – drivers must input their fatigue level when they set off on a journey, so the app can calculate when it is time for a rest break and a black coffee.

BMW Ultimate Drive app is free for Android and iPhone/iPad – and although you may not be driving a BMW, this app will log any interesting alternative routes taken by users and rated for your driving pleasure. BMW aficionados will also be treated to the latest news about their favourite big boys’ and girls’ toy.

Vehicle Accidents on Roads are sometimes hard to avoid but knowing how to get the compensation you deserve is key.