Amazon customers have been snapping up the compact and screen-free device that provides alerts about speed cameras and road hazards
The clever gadget also alerts motorists to road hazards.
Drivers are swearing by a clever gadget that warns them of speed cameras and helps avoid potential ‘points and fines’. The compact, screen-free device comes from OOONO, a brand aiming to improve road safety and reduce driver distraction.
The OOONO Co-Driver NO2 is £65 (was £69) at Amazon and connects to smartphones to provide motorists with real-time alerts about speed cameras, roadworks, hazards and accidents. With it, motorists can receive alerts without having to look at a screen or their phone, preventing dangerous driving that could see them slapped with unwanted fines or points on their license.
It’s compatible with Apple and Android devices and shares road data from a network of more than eight million drivers in eight countries, OOONO says. Drivers simply tap the Co-Driver – which can be easily applied to a car’s dashboard – to send a visual or audio alert to other users.
Many modern cars now feature touchscreens infotainment systems, but OOONO says its Co-Driver offers a simpler, safer solution. Sean Morris is OOONO’s UK chief operating officer who previously held engineering positions at Aston Martin and Continental.
He said: “This is a game-changer for motorists and UK road safety. With popular navigation apps, drivers can easily miss road hazards, police, or safety cameras ahead – and adding alerts often becomes horrendously distracting, hidden behind various sub-menus.
OOONO Co-Driver NO2
The OOONO Co-Driver NO2 provides motorists with real-time alerts about speed cameras, roadworks, hazards and accidents.
“Most people don’t even switch their maps on just to pop to the shops – Co-Driver is different. It’s always on, using a simple button and audio beep system to keep drivers focused.
“We believe safe driving is a team sport. With Co-Driver, every user becomes both a recipient and a contributor of vital road information.”
According to research by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), using car screens while driving can be more distracting than driving under the influence. The Co-Driver aims to counter this with its single-button design that connects millions of drivers and allows them to share and verify road information quickly and safely.
The gadget can be charged via USB-C and traditional USB ports, whether in the car or home. Similar features are offered by rival gadgets like the Tom by TomTom Road Alert Assistant, but this model holds a three-star rating compared to the Co-Drivers 4.1.
There’s also the Road Angel Pure Sync, but this requires a subscription to work and comes in at a more pricey £99.99 (was £199.99). Motoring Editor Gareth Butterfield road-tested the Co-Driver and hailed it as ‘one of the most useful bits of motoring tech out there’.
Explaining how the little gadget works, he said: “You’re driving along and the dashboard-mounted Co-Driver beeps at you. This is a warning that something is ahead.
“You can distinguish exactly what it’s warning you about by configuring the alerts in the app, but this means a Co-Driver user has spotted a speed camera or a hazard and tapped on the device. So picture the scene, you’re driving along the motorway and carelessly let your car wander over the speed limit.
“A camera is approaching in a few hundred yards but, thankfully, the Co-Driver knows, lets you know, and you’ve got time to slow down before you reach the camera. When you get to whatever it is you’ve been warned about, you then confirm it’s still there by pressing the device.
“You don’t need to look at it, you don’t need to read anything, it’s all just done with beeps and flashes. It’s really clever.”
On his own experience with Co-Driver, Gareth added: “I’ve been on some long journeys with the Co-Driver, including motorway jaunts and a blast around Snowdonia – it’s pretty good. In high-traffic areas, it’s very reliable, it only missed a few speed cameras and hazards.
“In more rural, isolated parts, it’s not been quite as clever. I guess that’s the hitch with a community-based system, the bigger the community is, the better it works.”
