Top Gifts for Your Favorite Driver

There are some great gift ideas for people on your list who drive -- and that is all of us. So, instead of another pair of gloves or a scarf, look for things that can help make drives safer, more comfortable, and more fun.

I'm one of those short people whose neck gets chafed by seatbelts, so I would appreciate a cuddly soft wrapper to protect both my neck and the jewelry that sometimes decorates it. Brookstone to the rescue -- with a wrapper made from real Australian sheepskin. And you can't beat the price -- $12.95. The seatbelt cover is available in natural or charcoal color to match your vehicle's interior. There's also full sheepskin seatcovers for $79.95, and despite what you might think, they actually keep you cooler in summer.

Of course you would expect venerable gadget guru HammacherSchlemmer to have a something helpful for driving. The No Blind Spot Rear View Mirror is the same one used by many police officers and professional racecar drivers to eliminate blind spots. The mirror has a 180° field of view -- which is more than three times what standard mirrors offer, and does it all with a seamless and distortion-free image. But back-up cameras only show you the ground, not the traffic behind you on the highway -- this one does -- a panoramic view across an entire five-lane highway. That lets you see all the adjacent vehicles from the moment they begin to pass until they are visible in your peripheral vision. Consider it a $59.95 insurance policy.

Herrington offers a $29.95 multi-port device that plugs into your cigarette lighter socket, to power all your gadgets. Use it to run a laptop or portable DVD, or to recharge batteries while you drive. That's the 110-volt part of it. The USB port powers your iPod, Blackberry, PDA, or camera. There's an overload protector to prevent damage due to operating too much gear, and it's small enough to fit in the glovebox or storage bin in the center console.

Sometimes, we drive too far even in the garage. One trick is to rig a tennis ball on a string from the ceiling, so that you know to stop when the windshield bumps the ball. Or, just get a 'park stop' strip from Griot's Garage, a mini version of those concrete space markets in outdoor parking lots. Cost is $12.99, which is less expensive than the doctor bill for falling off the ladder when you try to tie a tennis ball on a string to your garage ceiling.

Happy holiday, and have many great drives.

Tips for Safe Driving During the Holiday Season

We're all in a hurry at the holidays. But speeding is not the answer, and it most certainly is not safe driving. Speeding-related deaths kill approximately 13,500 Americans each year, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association. And thousands more drivers, passengers and pedestrians are injured by speeding.
Here are five reasons you should not speed…

Save lives - Slowing down increases the likelihood you and your passengers will survive a crash. Each 1 percent decrease in travel speed reduces injury crashes by about 2%, serious injury crashes by about 3% and fatal crashes by about 4%.

Save money - Speeding reduces fuel efficiency, causing you to buy gas more often. The Department of Energy estimates that, as a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph above 60 mph you drive is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

Save the environment - According to Ford Motor Company, driving a vehicle at 65 mph consumes about 15% more fuel than driving the same vehicle at 55 mph. More fuel consumed means more CO2 released into the atmosphere.

Save yourself a ticket - Highway safety agencies and law enforcement crack down on speeders, especially during holidays. Obey the sign or pay the fine!

Save your license - A speeding ticket could lead to points on your driving record. Too many points and you could lose your license and your insurance premiums could go up.

Safe drives are great drives.

Drive Safely this Fourth of July Holiday

The July Fourth holiday weekend is one of the most popular family getaways, a great time to drive to the beach, lake or a friend's backyard barbecue. It's also one of the most deadly times of the year on our roads.

An insurance industry analysis of data for the ten years from 1995-2005 shows that the day July 4th is actually the single most deadly day of the year, while July 2nd and 3rd are not far behind. Since the July 4, 2008 falls on a Friday, law enforcement officials are especially concerned that this year's Independence Day holiday could be a very deadly one.

To combat this, the Governors Highway Safety Association is funding extra enforcement efforts focusing on such safety issues as seat belt use, speeding, drunk driving, and an activity not enough drivers think is dangerous -- driving with one hand while holding a cellphone in the other. Talking while holding a cellphone is dangerous enough, but it is simply incoprehensible anybody is idiotic enough to take their eyes off the road long enough to either to dial or text message. But they do. And those people are beyond dumb. They are flat out dangerous.

Five states have laws prohibiting driving while talking on a handheld cellphone -- California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. The rules in California and Washington go into effect on July first, in time for the deadly driving days around the Fourth of July.

Four states ban text messaging while driving -- Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington, and other states have introduced similar legislation.

Great drives are safe drives. This Fourth of July weekend, slow down -- you'll save gas and you'll drive more in control. Don't drink and drive. Don't text and drive. Don't dial and drive.

Five Tips to Keep You and Your Vehicle Safe in Mexico

Mexico is such an attractive place for a road trip that there are more than 80 million vehicle border crossings each year. That number could increase this year because a great drive south-of-the-border is an affordable travel alternative to Europe.

Here are five top tips to keep you and your car safe from GMAC Insurance --

1. Have the proper insurance. In most instances, your U.S. auto insurance policy will not be valid in an accident in Mexico, so you should buy Mexico auto insurance. Check with your insurance company to see if it offers a pre-approved policy for Mexico, or special add-ons to
cover you within a certain mileage from the border.

2. Know the law. In Mexico, a car accident is seen as a criminal offense, and until it is determined who is at fault and whether a penalty can be paid, you could be detained in jail. Check with your insurance company to make sure they will cover bail costs, so you stay in jail longer than absolutely necessary.

3. Stay With Your Car. Mexican law states that a car must be driven by the vehicle owner, or the owner must be in the vehicle. If the owner is not present, the car will be seized by customs and not returned under any circumstances. If your name is on the title, stay with the vehicle at all times.

4. Plan Ahead. Know how long you will be in the country in advance. Give yourself extra leeway in the event an accident occurs and an extended stay is unavoidable. In addition, register with the embassy, so they are aware of your presence and your whereabouts.

5. Study Up. Read your new auto insurance policy carefully, especially the part about your responsibilities in case of an accident or loss. Keep a copy of the policy in the vehicle at all times, and always carry your driver's license, as well - it's valid in Mexico.

These tips can help you avoid a mountain of headaches, from paperwork to jail time to enormous fines and other costs.

Reducing Sun Glare When you Drive

Avoid sun glare when driving, and you might also avoid an accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 80 percent of accidents occur within three seconds of some form of distraction. That includes cell phones, adjusting the radio, dashboard dining, changing the heating or air conditioning, smoking, personal grooming, driving when tired -- and sun glare.

Driving glasses from Drivewear Technology can't do anything about cell phone distraction, but can fix the sun glare problem, with lenses that lighten and darken for road conditions from overcast to daylight to bright light.

The glasses combines two technologies: photochromic, which is activated by light, and polarization, which eliminates glare.

Drivewear lenses change color to best fit the light conditions; high contrast yellow-green in overcast conditions, copper for bright conditions behind the windshield of a car, and dark reddish-brown in bright outdoor light.

Equally important to eye health, the glasses block 100 percent of ultraviolet light, both UV A and UV B.

According to the Vision Council of America, the sun is one of the most overlooked dangers while driving, particularly during the height of morning and evening commutes. Thousands of people are injured each year, some fatally, as a result of glare.

Drivewear lenses are available as both prescription and non-prescription sun lenses.