By combining cameras on every side of the car with some clever tech, your car's display can show a virtual top-down view of your surroundings. It can show the sides of your garage or whether you're between the parking lines at the grocery store. It can also provide invaluable assistance while parallel parking.

While reverse brake assist and cross-traffic alert help to avoid collisions when backing out of a parking space or driveway, a 360-degree camera can make sure you don't hit anything while you're parking. Not only can this keep your car scratch- and dent-free, but it can reduce insurance claims from low-speed crashes. This camera is a great help when parking a large vehicle.

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8. Emergency services/stolen vehicle tracking software

More than 810,000 motor vehicles were stolen in 2020. That's a shocking number, and it stresses the importance of having built-in vehicle tracking technology. If your car, truck, or SUV is equipped with one of these systems, it makes it a lot easier for law enforcement to find your vehicle -- and they can find it faster, potentially reducing damage to your car. For example, OnStar can remotely slow down a stolen vehicle and can keep it from being restarted once it's shut off.

Stolen vehicle tracking technology is part of the assistance and security systems such as Subaru Starlink, Kia UVO, Hyundai Blue Link, and GM OnStar. Several automakers offer this feature.

But it doesn't just help if your car is stolen. These systems can also help get rescue services to you after a crash has happened by pinpointing a vehicle's exact location. That same location information can be used to find someone during a national disaster, to find an aging family member who may need help, or to make sure your teen driver is safe.

Sometimes it's really nice to have an easy-to-view screen that shows what's on either side of your car when changing lanes. This is where a blind-spot monitor comes in handy. It uses a small camera on either side of your car to display what traffic may be in the lane next to you. This can help prevent you from hitting another car or a person on a bicycle or motorcycle. There are different versions of this technology, but we prefer easy-to-see displays within the gauge cluster, such as in Genesis, Ki a, and Hyundai vehicles.

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If you've ever been to a big-box store and filled your SUV to the roof with supplies, you know what it's like to lose use of your rearview mirror. However, a video rearview mirror solves this problem. It uses a rear-mounted camera that displays the view behind your vehicle. This type of rearview mirror is in the same spot as the traditional version, but you can toggle between the regular and the video view. This type of mirror is also helpful when towing, because it gives you a wider view of the road while allowing you to keep an eye on your trailer.

This story originally ran on KBB.com

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