Car lovers are lucky because there are so many great iPad apps dedicated to helping them with almost any problem they face. Parking apps are becoming very popular at the moment which is great because finding the right parking space is sometimes one of the most stressful things in the world. I want to talk to you about some of the benefits you’ll get from using them, so don’t forget to take your iPad whenever you jump into the car from now on.

You will save lots of time

Nobody wants to spend 30 minutes driving around a new city looking for a parking garage, but that is sometimes how long it takes to find one. Get the right app and it will tell you (exactly where you need to go http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bestparking-find-best-daily/id383076098?mt=8&uo=4&at=10lmN2). Some of them will even use GPS to guide you to the garage so you don’t even need to think. Sometimes you show up at a garage and it’s already full which is also a problem, but with an app you will know where there are spaces so you don’t show up at the wrong one.

Your car is more secure

When you (park at a garage http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parking-mate/id377182511?mt=8&uo=4&at=10lmN2) you can walk away from your car safe in the knowledge it’s going to be okay. Some cars obviously get stolen from secure parking units, but your car is more likely to get stolen if it’s sitting in a parking spot in a bad area of town where there are no cameras. The cameras actually provide you with even more security because nobody is likely to drive off after banging into your car if they know everything has been captured on film.

Payment method dilemma

It’s easy to get a red face when you try to pay for something by card and they turn around and tell you they only accept cash. In a perfect world you’d drive around with lots of spare change in your pocket, but sometimes you don’t have any and paying by card is the only option you have. Parking apps already know what (payment options garages accept http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parker-find-open-available/id399573859?mt=8&uo=4&at=10lmN2) and you can choose one where you’ll be able to pay. This also works both ways and if you only have the cash you’ll still find a garage that fits your needs.

Reserve your spot

Some parking garages and lots let you reserve a parking space ahead of time. This can come in handy for a huge number of reasons. If you’re running late for a meeting on the other side of town you’ll feel better knowing you don’t have to find a space when you get there. If you’re going on holiday and you need to leave your car somewhere for a week you’ll not have to park it on the street. You can easily (reserve your space http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parkme-parking/id417605484?mt=8&uo=4&at=10lmN2) ahead of time through a good parking app.

Find out the rules

It’s sometimes hard to find a good parking space in the middle of the city because you have no idea whether or not you’re allowed to park there. It’s pointless leaving your car in a space if there is a chance it’s going to be towed away by the time you come back. A few apps even have a (special technology http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/can-i-park-here-nyc/id493416265?mt=8) that allows you to take a photo of road signs and they will automatically tell you if it’s okay to park. It means there is no chance you’ll ever see your car getting towed away on the back of a truck.

Just the beginning

In the future you’ll probably be able to download an app that hacks into your car and parks it for you. There are tons of other benefits we’ve not touched on today, but we have looked at the big ones currently available and I hope you’re impressed enough to start using parking apps more often.

Author Bio: 

Shruti Vaghe, the author of this article, is a freelance blogger, who often writes for Pack N Jet, a leading airport parking facility in Seatac. Shruti loves bird-watching and visits various national parks on weekends. You can also follow her on Twitter @ShrutiVaghe.