Yes, companies like J.C. Whitney did sell devices that were called…Traffic Light Spotters…or something to that effect.
Mounted on a suction cup near the top of the windshield, it allowed a stationary driver to see when an overhead traffic light changed, rather than having to crane his neck to see the light. Windshields were pretty small in those days, after all…
The knob on the steering wheel was definitely helpful, back in the days of no power steering for most folks. These knobs were nicknamed Suicide Knobs because when an unbelted driver was thrown into one of these knobs during a collision, it had a tendency to cause great damage to the sternum, or the ribs, or internal organs, depending on where it impacted the driver’s body. Back in the days of safety inspections, in my state you would fail the inspection if one of those knobs was found on your steering wheel.