People probably assume that major cities like Los Angeles already have self-driving vehicles on every street. But not so. However, that might be about to change…and it might not.

Waymo has just announced that it’s bringing its self-driving cars (all Chrysler Pacifica minivans developed by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) to the United States’ second most populated city, Los Angeles. In order to determine if their vehicles can fit into the city’s complex (and problematic) transportation system, it needs a digital 3D map of the city first. And in order to legally operate the vehicles, LA’s Department of Transportation wants the data to be shared with them. But Waymo just isn’t sure it’s ready to disclose its data yet.

Currently, electric vehicles of all sorts are being plugged into a digital tool called Mobility Data Specification (MDS), which was developed by the Department of Transportation to track electric scooters and other shared mobility devices on its streets. “We wanted to build something that was future proof,” the general manager of the tool’s production company explained. “We’re not necessarily clear on what that next opportunity is going to be in. But we want to be ready for it because we know it’s coming.”

And it sounds like it might be self-driving cars…if they’re willing. But they might not be.

The MDS system was intended to impose traffic regulations off of normal traffic avenues, but its been receiving significant pushback for its potential for law enforcement abuse to track specific people. Waymo might not want to cooperate, but many argue that autonomous vehicles should be incorporated by the same principle. Only time will tell if they even have a choice when, or if, they decide to launch a passenger service in the city.

Whether you just got a new car or you’re looking for tips to make the old one more interesting, you will be surprised that you didn’t already come up with these hacks! Whether they’re purely for decoration or for function, these car hacks will be useful for any type of car owner. While not all car hacks are absolutely risk-free, we have put together a list of 35 interesting examples to keep you busy!

Not happy with the range of your car keys? Here’s a strange but effective hack that can help you out! Next time you try to unlock your car but you find that it’s out of reach, place the key fob on your chin and press the button again.

This might look weird but it works out in its strange ways. Apparently, the brain waves can extend the key’s reach and thus allow you to unlock the car from a further distance. If anything, it won’t hurt to try!

If you’re not sure whether it is time to buy new car tires, the penny test will help you make the decision. The condition of a tire is measured by the depth of its tread. The deeper the tread, the better the tire.

To check whether your tires are still good, grab a penny and turn it upside down so the top of Lincoln’s head is facing the floor. Then dip the penny into the tread to check its depth. If the tread goes over Lincoln’s forehead, the tires still have some life in them. If not, it’s time for new ones!

Here’s another money saver for all the car drivers out there. Fixing a dent on the surface of the car can be quite costly, unless you try to do so with a plunger. That’s right, this random bathroom accessory can help you fix your vehicle in no time!

Just take the plunger and stick it onto the center of the dent. Pull as hard as you can until the dent is evened out perfectly. You can do this a couple of times to level out the surface if necessary.

Windshield wipers and mirrors are not the only things that can freeze on your vehicles. You will probably go through a much worse struggle if your keyhole ends up frozen. To solve this issue, you are going to need some hand sanitizer and, luckily, we have plenty of that right now.

Put as much hand sanitizer into the lock as possible. You can do so by squirting the liquid right out of the bottle or putting directly on the key. The alcohol will heat up the ice and quickly unfreeze the whole thing.

Foggy headlights are more than just an aesthetic issue on your vehicle. In fact, they can seriously impact the quality of your lights at night, which can lead to potential risk and danger.

Of course, you can always spare an extra $30 to get them fixed by a professional, or you can try this hack instead. Get some toothpaste and smear it all over the headlight. Let it sit there for a minute and then rub it in with a clean cloth. Continue rubbing until you see the fog lifting.

All new vehicles rely on electric locks, which have their pros and cons. However, what can you do when the electric components fail you? In case you didn’t know, every car still has a manual lock, regardless of the electric feature.

Next time you head over to your car, check the door handle for a small plastic piece at the edge. Remove this piece and you will find a good old manual lock underneath. This can be a lifesaver in case you get yourself locked out of the car.

Frozen windshield wipers and car mirrors can be a real nightmare, especially during the coldest winter days. Letting these fragile parts of your car freeze can lead to damage and unnecessary expenses.

Luckily, you can protect your windshield wipers from vicious ice by putting a pair of socks over them. This will prevent the snow from freezing and keep the wipers as good as new. Since you can’t fit a sock on the mirrors, find an appropriate nylon bag for this purpose.

Did you ever sit down in a new car or borrow your friend’s vehicle only to find out you have no idea where the gas tank is? Pulling up to the wrong side of the gas pump can be quite frustrating, although this little hack will solve this problem forever.

If you pay attention to the details on your gas gauge, you will notice that there is an arrow next to the little gas pump icon. This arrow points to the side of the car where the gas tank is located. You’re welcome!

Naturally, if you are rushing to get somewhere, you are more likely to drive faster and go over the speed limit. However, by doing so, you will only wear out your brakes since you will have to stop at nearly every stoplight on the route.

The thing is, stoplights are designed in a way that allows drivers who follow the speed limit to hit green lights more often. If you just stick to the speed limit and cruise patiently, you will hit fewer red lights and thus be more likely to arrive on time.

Are you tired of collecting trash all over your car? You can easily solve this issue by creating a miniature trash can so your passengers have a place to put down their garbage. Luckily, there’s one common household object that seems to be perfect for this purpose.

Find yourself an ordinary plastic cereal container and put a plastic bag inside it. Close the lid over the bag so it is secured in place. Then put the improvised trash can in the back seat and enjoy a clean and tidy car.

If you are struggling to keep the air in your car fresh, this quick hack will make the problem go away. Head to the nearest supply store and grab a box of dryer sheets for this one. Then place one sheet underneath each car seat.

The smell of the sheets will penetrate through the seat and neutralize any other unpleasant smells in the car. This technique, combined with airing out the car every once in a while, will help you keep the air nice and fresh.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been in this situation. You come to a packed parking lot, barely find a decent spot, and then an hour later you get back only to realize that you have no idea where your car is. As embarrassing as it is to admit it, we’ve all made this mistake at least once.

One way you can make sure you never forget where you parked the car is to take a picture of the surroundings. Find something memorable or easily noticeable in the area around the car so you can easily retrieve it later.

If you find yourself driving without AC during hot summer days, you will have to keep the car cool using the good old window method. This is where most people make a mistake by rolling down all four windows of the car.

This will only make the air travel from one window to another without much of a pleasing effect. Instead, only roll down the first two windows to get better results, as keeping the back windows closed will force the air to circulate and create a cooler environment.

Sooner or later you will have to deal with condensation in your vehicle. The fog on the windows can seriously impact your driving experience and it will likely get annoying over time. You can solve this issue by using a simple cloth bag filled with rice.

Get an old shirt or any cloth material to create a little pocket for the rice. Once it’s all put together, place the rice bag on the dash and let it absorb moisture in the vehicle. You can also put it in the microwave every once in a while to dry the rice up.

It’s not only the outside of your vehicle that should be kept spotless. In most cases, keeping the interior clean is even more important. One way to keep the interior of your car clean is to use a spare coffee filter you find in the kitchen to wipe down surfaces inside the car.

You won’t believe how efficient coffee filters are for this purpose. Instead of spending money on car wipes and fancy products, you can get hundreds of filters at a cheap price in any supermarket.

We can all agree that there is nothing worse than adding new keys to a keyring. The stiff metal ring can injure your fingers and cause sharp pain if not used correctly. Here’s a way you can add things to your keyring with ease.

Simply use a stapler to hold the metal rings apart as you add the new key. Your keys will be nicely organized and, most importantly, your fingertips will remain intact! Just make sure you don’t stretch out the ring too much.

Whether you’ve just bought a new car or you’re trying to get the old one to look as good as new, you are going to have to remove stickers. The bad news is that stubborn stickers usually leave a mark or adhesive residue on the car surface.

This can seriously mess up the whole aesthetic of the vehicle. One way to remove stickers without them leaving a trace is to use a hairdryer. Apply heat on the sticky area until it can be removed easily.

Cup holders are one of the most convenient features of your car’s interior, although they do get dirty and messy way too quickly. Instead of having to vacuum the holders every three days, you can put cupcake cups inside to catch the debris.

The cups will prevent dust and debris from piling up in the holders and you can easily replace them whenever necessary. That way, your vehicle will stay clean and fresh for days. Just make sure you replace the cups when they get dirty.

There’s nothing more frustrating than being stuck in traffic when delivering pizza to your family at home. You might have planned out a great family dinner, but a cold pizza won’t make it any better.

Luckily, you can keep the pizza warm by placing it on the passenger’s seat and turning on the seat warmer. If your car has this feature, you are qualified to be the next best delivery person in town.

How many times did you find yourself in front of the garage, ready to park, and realized that you can’t find the garage door remote? If you have a garage, we guarantee you’ve been in this situation at least once.

Believe it or not, you can solve this issue by installing the garage door opener inside your vehicle. This might take a bit of DIY, as you will have to connect the wiring of a push button to the remote controller, although you can always ask a professional to get it done for you.

Let’s face it, no one wants to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars repainting the entire vehicle because of a small scratch. Unfortunately, there will always be a scratch or two poking at your eyes, no matter how hard you try to keep the car intact.

Luckily, you can cover up small scratches with nail polish. All you have to do is go out there and find the right shade. If anything, there are dozens of colors and shades you can choose from to best fit the color of your car.

How many times did the front end of your vehicle meet the back wall inside of your garage? Even if it’s just small, insignificant contact, it can lead to damage and scratches over time. Something as small as a tennis ball can solve this issue.

Measure out the distance from your front windshield to the wall in the garage. Then set up a tennis ball on a string just so it touches the windshield when you’ve reached the perfect distance. That way, you will know exactly when to stop when parking your vehicle.

While pool noodles might seem completely useless in real life, they can come in handy for many purposes outside the pool. In fact, a noodle can protect your car’s door in the garage and save you money on unwanted repairs.

If you have a smaller garage and you’re struggling to get in and out of the car all the time, then the pool noodle door protector is a must-have. Simply cut the noodle in half and glue it to the wall at the spot where the car door usually touches it.

Icy windshields are just another thing on the list of car problems during winter days. If you’re in a rush to get to work and you don’t have time to run the car heater long enough to melt the ice, we have a quicker solution for you.

Mix some vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray it all over the frozen windshield. Give it a minute to dissolve and you will quickly see the ice melting away. Clean up the mess and you’re good to go!

You know all those fancy slime videos you saw on the internet? Well, they might come in handy now because the slime can be used to clean the interior of your vehicle better than any cloth you’ll find out there.

You can find this gooey substance in any auto shop or dealership. Use it to remove dust from places that are difficult to reach, such as the AC vent or the detailed surfaces of the dash. Simply wash the gooey slime later and you’re good to go!

Are you tired of running the heat or mixing vinegar to melt windshield ice? You can battle this issue naturally by choosing to park your vehicle in a different direction. Let the sun melt the ice for you so you won’t have to waste time on this tedious task.

Next time you park the car, make sure the windshield is facing east so it can be met by the morning sun. Still, if the sun is not strong enough in the morning, you might have to deal with the ice yourself.

Everyone tries to be as quick and efficient as possible when pumping gas at the station, as if someone is chasing us out of there. However, this is not the kind of situation where you want to be in a hurry.

If you slow down and allow the tank to fill up at a slower rate, you will let less air inside, and thus get more gas. To do so, hold the gas pump at 50% instead of squeezing it all the way as you normally would.

There’s nothing worse than having to sit in a sizzling hot car on a hot day in July. If your car has been sitting in the sun all day, you are really in for a treat when you sit inside. However, you can keep this hack in mind to avoid unpleasant situations like these.

To cool the car quickly, roll down the window at the passenger’s side and then open and close the driver’s door multiple times. This will force the hot air out of the vehicle and allow it to cool down faster.

If you don’t have a smartphone holder in your car and you don’t feel like investing in one, here’s a quick way to make your own DIY version. All you have to do is slip a tight rubber band through the air condition vent and let it hold the phone in place.

This might not be the most aesthetic long-term solution, but it will come in handy in situations where you need to use GPS on your phone. Most importantly, make sure the rubber band you choose is strong enough to hold the phone.

We’ve already mentioned one easy way to fix dents in your car using a plunger. If that proves to be too difficult, here’s another simple solution you should try. For this one, you are going to need nothing but some hot water.

Boil some water and pour it over the small dent on your car. The heat will expand the plastic and thus pull the dent out. However, keep in mind that this is only efficient for smaller and less significant dents.

As a driver, don’t you wish there were more than one or two cup holders. Sometimes, that just isn’t enough for the number of drinks you want to carry around during a ride. Or maybe the cup holders you do have aren’t that sturdy, especially when taking sharp turns.

One thing you could use as an alternative is one (or more) of your shoes. While it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing hack on this list, it sure does work.

While olive oil is good for a variety of purposes such as cooking, as well as hair and skin treatment, don’t underestimate the power it has to handle certain aspects of your car.

If you take a bottle of olive oil and combine it with another kitchen appliance; some coffee filters, you’ve got yourself a makeshift, but effective, scratch-free polishing hack. Just pour some oil on the filter, give the dashboard a wipe and it will pick up tons of dust.

A hack that pilots use that many drivers could benefit from in the future is as follows: covering parts of your windshield using tinted plastic sheets. This helps anyone behind the wield from being distracted by glares from the sun.

Amazingly, static from the windshield is what helps the sheets stick to the window. While visors are certainly known for achieving the same goal, many have praised the following hack for being just as effective, if not more.

An expert on car hacks by the name of Jim Nobilone provided the following tip to help one improve the clarity of their windshield in the long term. “When you’re behind the wheel, nothing is more crucial than good visibility,” he said.

“But like most other drivers, I usually procrastinate cleaning my windshield wipers or even replacing them if necessary.” So he recommended taking a white rag, applying some glass cleaner and wiping it up and down each wiper.

Let’s face it – car air fresheners can be very expensive and aren’t always that effective. Who’s to say that we can’t create our own makeshift versions that do an even better job? The following hack solves this problem and in a pretty simple way.

Pierce some holes in a mason jar lid, add scented candle wax to the jar. When it reaches a certain temperature in the car, the wax melts and provides a nice fragrance.

It’s always useful having some paper towels available. Maybe you spilled something or there’s a bit to much dust and grime in important places. Paper towels are very important but where are you supposed to put them in a car?

Donald Bolad came up with the following hack: “Attach a roll of paper towels to the inside of your car trunk lid with a short bungee cord. The towels will be handy but won’t take up space (or get wrecked) rolling around your trunk.”

Not every car has built-in carpet and the ones you can buy from car stores can prove to be pretty pricey, to say the very least. However, there is a way to solve this problem on the cheap. At Home Depot stores, you can by carpet scraps for less than two bucks.

One thing we do advise though is to not put these mats on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Only do this if grippers are attaching them to the floor of the car.

You would be surprised by just how many things you can do with pool noodles. And you can also use them to solve the following problem. There has never been a driver who hasn’t dropped something valuable down the side of their seat – it is simply inevitable.

Whether it is some change, your keys or even your wedding ring, just wedge cut pieces of pool noodles down the side and you’ll be good to go.

Of course, most if not all cars have a trunk where you can store your bags of groceries. However, what if you simply bought too much? Or maybe your trunk is already full and you have run out of room on the backseat? Look no further than the following hack.

Simply place the hanger on the front seats and you can use these to hang grocery bags from. No more cracked eggs and spilled milk. Grocery shopping is going to be straightforward from now on.

This is one of those hacks that are not that easy. You will have to look online for the specific appliance. But basically, this sticky pad allows drivers to stick some valuable things onto it without the fear of it falling down the sides of the car seat.

What’s even better about it is that you can remove it pretty easily. You can stick virtually anything onto it, from cellphones and notebooks to keys, wallets and purses.

If you’re always running out of storage space in your car, here’s a quick fix that will help you make more room for your daily essentials. All you need is some mesh net and bungee cords to make your own ceiling storage department.

Tie the cord to all four hand-holders in the car and you will have plenty of room to fit in an extra bag or some smaller items. Mesh nets are quite cheap, so this might even be one of the cheapest storage fixes out there.

Things can get pretty messy in the back of your car if you don’t have some sort of an organization system in place. The best way to keep things organized is to use a seat organizer with mesh pockets for different essentials.

Instead of investing extra money in car storage organizers, you can simply use a mesh shoe organizer and save yourself a few bucks. These organizers won’t take up too much space but will provide more room for small items, bottles, and similar things you’ll find in the back of the car.

The messiest part of any car is usually the trunk where we shove all sorts of things that we do and don’t need. Luckily, there is an easy way to organize your trunk with nothing but a few laundry baskets.

Laundry baskets will help you keep things tidy and allow you to make the best out of the storage space. Since laundry baskets can be placed on one another, you can easily create a shelf system for extra storage room.

Driving in winter can be quite challenging, especially on the coldest days when the road gets icy. If there is not enough friction between the tires and the frozen road, you will likely struggle to keep driving safely.

One way to make winter driving feel safer is to add more weight to the back tires. To do so, purchase a couple of bags of water softener salt bags and place them at the edge of the trunk. Keep in mind that this won’t be of any help for front-wheel-drive vehicles.

Lastly, this is not much of a shocking, new hack, but rather, a useful piece of advice for drivers of any experience level. Setting up a dashcam in your car will make you feel safer as you drive, since your movement on the road will be recorded.

That way, you will have clear proof and evidence of what happened in case of any car accidents or events on the street. A dashcam is a one-time investment that will save you money for years down the road.