ACCESSORIES: Motorists need presence of mind - and presents of mind. Oonagh Charleton has been out in the bazaars
Up to €5
All sorts of stocking fillers are out there, from Furry Dice which for generations have thrilled Ford owners to Exterior Spray Paint - and the ever-useful Screen Wipes.
You can find air fresheners in this price range, from the ubiquitous pine tree affairs to more up-market fruit-scented wood which can be a little more expensive.
At this price there are lots of joke sticker aimed at other motorists. Stickers can be found carrying slogans from the benign to sexually obscure, such as "It's not a beer belly, it's a fuel tank for a sex machine" to "I can go from zero to horny in 2.5 beers."
More sedate stickers can be had for under €5 advertising your favourite team.
€5-€20
Nodding dogs come at around €6, as can Illuminated Swing Hands with Cigarette Lighter Plugs - they plug into the lighter port and brightens up your day as it bounces on its spring. Mini boxing gloves are about €6. An Irish road map is just over €5. Specially designed chunky disc holders (for tax, insurance and NTC) are about €15. In-car mobile phone holders can range between €7 and €40.
€20-€30
A 12V Car-jug Kettle, costing about €30, plugs neatly into the lighter port. It's ideal for long journeys when a cup of tea or coffee can go a long way. Drivers who want to smarten up their windows or obscure the view from outside can buy a variety of window film sheets in various colours for about €24.
The average Haynes Manual costs about €25 - always a good and sensible buy.
Now, two accessories that may alarm: a self-adhesive, darkness and motion triggered Flashing Fin may be useful at about €23.
There is also a Rotating Beacon for the cheeky driver - it may come in handy next time you meet gridlock and feel like trying garda patience.
€50-€100
The very sensible Reverse Parking Sensor can be had for about €80.
For those who are just too lazy to turn the key to start your car every day, a Push Button Ignition Start kit is at your fingertips for about €79.
Muddy Buddies in-car boot mats are priced at around €60.
In-car speakers, which can be quite expensive, start at about €40.
€100-€500
At this range, gifts can stop being a one-person pressie and become more of the family variety.
Roof racks or roof bars can start at €120.
In the technology sector subwoofers or window-blowing bass units are priced at around €300, but can vary in price depending on spec. Single CD players can start at €280. Hands-free mobile phone kits can be fitted by suppliers as a package with some deals starting at €290, including installation.
A Speed Camera Defence system is priced between €125 and €395, depending on model and spec. It detects the radar and laser frequencies that read your speed.
€500 - €2,500
This is the range where you're talking about DVD units with screens installed at the back of the front seats seats. They can entertain back-seat travellers for hours. The cost can be between €699 and €2,400.
In-car DVD users can also play video games, listen to digital radio and watch favourite TV programmes using a simple navigation system.
For drivers more interested in wheels than reels, an average set of alloy wheels will cost between €500 (for 15-inch Titans) and €1,600 (for 18-inch Alessios Rallys).
€2,500 plus
Here we're talking about accessories that are really only accessories if you happen to own a Beckham-sized fleet.
How about a Chieftain Main Battle tank to help deal with that rush hour traffic? With prices ranging from between $50,000 and $600,000 for a working tank, you can drive them around your local neighbourhood after passing the "Class H driving test for tracked vehicles". Available from most good arms dealers.