Auto Accessories for Moms

Stereo Speakers: If you really want to tune out back seat squabbling, component speakers will do the trick. High-end audio systems include pairs of speakers to provide high frequency accuracy (tweeters), medium frequency (midrange) or low frequency (woofer). If you're a true bass freak, add a set of sub-woofers that send the music right up through your seat. Component speakers start around $100 a pair. Unless you're a sophisticated audiophile, have the speakers professionally installed.


Center Consoles: Okay, here's your cup holder, but for today's Mom they can also include compartments to handle cell phones, iPods, and a beverage cooler. Prices go up with the list of features and materials. Look for one that requires simple installation, as opposed to the models that straddle the center armrest. The more these consoles hold, the bigger the mess if they get tipped over.


Fog Lights: True fog lights have a vertically narrow beam that focuses a bright light directly on the roadway. The fog is still there, but you've got a better view of road obstacles ahead. Conventional factory headlight high beams only bounce light off the fog back into the driver's eyes. While high-end vehicles offer standard headlights that rival the quality and visibility of auxiliary systems, older vehicles generally don't. If you drive in rural areas without the help of streetlights, consider auxiliary driving lights that have a broad horizontal beam that illuminates the shoulder of the road. With auxiliary lighting, you get what you pay for, so be ready to pay at least $100 a set.


Seatbelts: This is a combo safety/cosmetic/comfort upgrade. Factory seatbelts are lap and sash belts with an inertial reel that self-adjusts and retracts the belt when not in use. Since the 1980s, this type of belt replaced those rear-seat lap belts that can cause injury, especially in children. Upgrades can include tension adjusters, shoulder strap pads (sheepskin versions are so lush they could function as little pillows for passengers). Or, you might want to consider a five-point racing harness that acts like a torso straight jacket for your overactive passengers.


Looking at these items overall, it's clear that Mom does worry about safety and tidiness—after all, that's what most Moms do. But a Mom's cool quotient (note CD player, tinting, fog lights, speakers) is higher than that stereotypical family chauffeur. So when she pops Kenny G into her changer, remember, she's ready to roll.