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Last Updated: Mar 26th, 2006 - 13:41:45 |
11 Things Moms Should Have For Their Vehicles
Date: Tuesday, May 13 @ 00:00:00 CDT
Topic:
(NAPSI)-Mothers spend an incredible amount of time in their vehicles these days, shuttling kids to school and extracurricular activities, running errands, commuting. "More and more, vehicles are becoming a second home or office," says Chris Horn, vice president of communications for SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association. "Fortunately, several auto accessories can make vehicles more family-friendly and make moms' lives easier and more efficient."
According to SEMA's consumer Web site, enjoythedrive.com, these specialty auto accessories can help mothers, fathers and their families while on the road to their intended destination.
1. A small refrigerator. Parents can keep healthy snacks, formula and even medicine fresh with these small refrigerators, which plug into a vehicle's power point. They're great for sporting events, camping trips and around-town driving.
2. An on-board baby monitor. Mom can keep an eye on a baby in a rear-facing child seat using an in-car camera and a small monitor that mounts below the rearview mirror. When the baby gets older, the camera can be repositioned for a view of all the back-seat riders, so Mom doesn't have to turn around while she's driving to check on her passengers.
3. A place to secure valuables. A lockable drawer that mounts under a seat provides secure storage for purses, cameras and other thief-magnets that parents tote around.
4. A backup warning system. Kids and vehicles can be a dangerous combination, but a variety of auto accessories can help parents avoid backing up over toys-or worse. Backup aids include inexpensive wide-angle mirrors, high-tech obstacle detection systems that beep as a vehicle draws closer to an object, and waterproof camera systems that let Mom see what's behind her vehicle.
5. A portable entertainment system (aka video in a bag). Movies and video game systems keep kids entertained, so Mom doesn't have to play referee while she drives-or entertain the troops while they wait to pick up a sibling. The portable systems are economical, and they're easy to move from vehicle to vehicle, or use in a rental car on vacation.
6. A cargo organizer. Organizers for trunk and cargo areas-or that attach to a vehicle's headrests-can keep grocery bags from spilling, stop a soccer ball from rolling around, hold a roadside emergency kit, and maps, and more.
7. Waterproof seat covers. There's no use crying over spilled juice-not when moms can protect their vehicles' seats with juice-, mud-, catsup- and sweat-proof seat covers.
8. A portable jump starter. Mom definitely doesn't want to get stranded because of a dead battery, whether she has the kids with her or she's on her way to pick them up. A portable jump starter means she can start the car herself, without having to flag down a good Samaritan.
9. A roadside emergency kit. Enjoythedrive.com recommends that parents carry a variety of first aid items, as well as a flashlight and batteries, water, a blanket, gloves, a flare, common hand tools and a means for signaling help. They can get all this and more in a convenient ready-made kit.
10. A portable tire inflator. These compact accessories plug into a power point and fit easily inside a trunk or cargo organizer. They'll inflate soccer balls, bike tires, pool floaties, rafts and air mattresses-and help refill a flat tire.
11. A pet restraint. Unsecured pets can become projectiles in a crash, so it's wise to use a pet barrier to confine animals to the cargo area of a van, station wagon or SUV. Another option is a dog harness that attaches to any seat belt to protect Fido or Fluffy, as well as everyone else in the vehicle.
To find out more about family-friendly auto accessories, visit enjoythedrive.com. The Web site includes information on hundreds of the latest custom auto accessories, as well as links to product manufacturers' and retailers' Web sites. If you don't have Internet access, write to SEMA, Moms, 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765-3914.
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