Better than some automakers "detectors"

LaneFX actually shows you what's lurking in your blind spot!

LaneFX is More Than Just a Car Gadget

Many of the latest car models include systems that alert you when a car is in your blind spot. Those of us with older autos have had rely on our own road skills -- until now. Drivaware has introduced LaneFX: When you activate your turn signal, the device moves the corresponding side-view mirror to expose your blind spot and any vehicles that may be hiding in it. Of course, if you remember your driver's training, a quick glance over your shoulder does essentially the same thing. The LaneFX is compatible with any car that has power mirrors and is available in a Basic Edition ($197), Highway Edition ($242) and Commuter Edition ($296).

Gift Ideas for Car Lovers

Did you know that some folks use cars for reasons other than getting from one place to the other? Of course you did! For many owning a car, suv, or truck is an extension of their personality. It's about driving a vehicle and making a statement with it. Budget permitting some will choose the latest in suvs or trucks, while others will choose a more reasonable set of wheels.  Everyone loves their Freedom Machine and does their best to enhance and personalize it so a gift of automotive accessories is a great way to warm their heart.

So what exactly do you buy?

Well your final selection depends to some extent on your budget, but if you are short for vehicle accessory gift ideas, here are a few – a non-magnetic cell phone pad makes a great little car accessory for that dashboard – maybe an ashtray with some zing, for those who smoke and refuse to quit?, then there are the slightly more expensive accessories like seat covers, luggage carriers and removable steps for those hard to reach areas like the top of a truck. Ask yourself what kind of person you are planning to gift – you would be the best judge of that – remember when you are buying an accessories gift, or any kind of gift, try and get something that you know the person in question would love to receive, not something that you would like to get on your birthday! The dashboard cellmate in particular is a must have for every sports utility vehicle owner, who often go cross country across rough terrain. Nothing like a CellMate cell phone padto keep that mobile phone, ipod and maybe the ray ban glasses from being knocked all over the place! The custom made seat covers are a great way to personalize a vehicle. Going custom is the only way for hobbyists even if it means waiting an extra week.

Skis are one of the hardest things to fit in or on a sports vehicle. Maybe you could get your friend a ski rack if he or she is going on a ski trip with the vehicle. The ski rack goes conveniently on top of the car where they hold the skis parallel and over the vehicle, leaving ample room for other luggage. So you can see there’s something literally for everyone in terms of car accessories as personal gifts. Such a gift would no doubt be well appreciated from the receiver, and isn’t that what we want at the end of the day.

Mobile Electronics Retailers - Get the Hottest Car Gadget This Year

LaneFX is a great addition to your store's new product selection. It's a brand new automotive safety system that drives new customer segments to your store, like senior citizens and first-time drivers. LaneFX beats blind spot mirrors, radar detectors, and virtually any car gadget out there! Don't be blind to cheap aftermarket blind spot mirrors, driver safety is affected by distorted side view mirrors. Check our the LaneFX retailer program today.

"Geeky and useful" What a Great Combination!

That's what the gadget and new mobile technology media has been saying about LaneFX. It's the ultimate gearhead accessory for your car or truck. The latest car gadget is now fully-customizable, guaranteed to be 100% universal and best of all, there is no car gadget that's cooler than the one that could save your life. LaneFX tops the latest and hottest car gadgets for its innovation, invention, wide appeal and novelty.

Compare Backup Sensors & Cameras to ParkFX for the Most Reliable Backup Warning Technology

Not all reversing aids are equal. The sensing technology and the indicating method are critical to your driving safety.

How A Park Assist System Alerts You

One option is video, which at first seems like a great choice. But one major flaw with having a video camera affixed to the back of your car with a monitor on your dashboard is that it also forces you to look forward while backing up. That can disturb your perception, your reaction time, and feel very unnatural. They are also extremely expensive, and you'll pay thousands of dollars to have a video system attached to your car, whether from the dealer or an aftermarket supplier.

Compare that to other bargain basement devices which actually have LED displays (little red lights) on your dashboard. These are cumbersome -- almost useless -- for much the same reason as video: when you drive in reverse, you naturally look behind you, and you'll never see the little red lights. They are also hard to read in bright sunlight.

Some other bargain technologies use a tone which beeps more rapidly as you get closer to an obstacle. You can at least hear the relative distance just by listening to the beeps, but you have to practice a bit to really understand how far you are from danger.

That's why an audible voice sensor is best. It tells you in a spoken voice exactly how far away you are. Not only do you not have to awkwardly look forward at your dashboard, you'll know without guessing how much further you can safely back up.

How A Reversing Aid Detects Objects

If you've never seen or used a reversing aid, you might be surprised at how technically advanced they actually can be.

Reversing aids use a variety of technologies to sense an object behind the car. Some units use Doppler radar, and others use infrared sensors, but by far the most accurate method of detection is the one the U.S. Navy uses on its submarines: sonar.

Sonar can operate in any weather, including direct sunlight or rain. And it doesn't require that the car be moving in order to sense an obstruction.

More than 2,400 children are accidentally backed-up over each year in the U.S.

And of those, more than 100 die. With the proliferation of SUVs and mini-vans, drivers aren't aware of the enormous rear view blind spots that prevent them from seeing what's behind them, especially small objects, animals, people, and children. Some of these blind spots are even greater than the length of an average driveway! Senators Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) have recently proposed legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue regulations aimed at reducing accidents that frequently kill or injure children in cars. But until that legislation is passed, it's up to the driver to protect their loved-ones and prevent a tragedy by using a Park Assist system or a backup camera.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 2,767 people were treated in emergency rooms from July 2000 through June 2001 because of backovers. "This is a huge problem," Fennell said. "A lot of [the problem] is due to the change in our vehicle mix" that has more people driving tall-profile vehicles, she said.

Indeed, Fennell's research indicates that "in 60 percent of the [backover] cases, it's a truck, van or SUV that's involved," Fennell said. The reduced rearward visibility is caused by the design and tall profile of SUVs, pickup trucks and even vans.

The top edge of the tailgates and liftgates in these vehicles typically sits high and so do the vehicles themselves. This means that unaware children and small-stature adults and anything not tall enough to be visible in the rear window glass might be run over as the vehicle is backing up.

Consumers can choose from a wider range of aftermarket vehicle-backup systems since our last report, including new and improved designs.

All such systems are intended to help drivers detect objects within the blind spot behind the vehicle.

New are camera systems such as the Audiovox and ParkFX we tested that offer a “picture in the mirror” feature. The display is on a mirror that fits on top of or replaces the existing rear-view mirror, so you don’t have to choose between looking at the display and at the rear-view mirror while backing up. ParkFX also combines a camera with an audible sensor, so you can see and hear potential trouble. We would like to see more backup warning systems on the market that combine camera and sensor technologies.

Backup systems are typically marketed as parking aids, not safety equipment. But our tests show that the camera models can also help drivers avoid backover-accident injuries and fatalities.