Horntones is a Californian company which will begin selling its US$150 car horn customisation tool in April. Basically, it enables your car horn to play any sound file - music, voices, rude sounds, sirens ... anything. You'll also need to pony up the readies for an amplifier and the sounds are loaded to the unit via a USB flash drive. The Horntones unit can be installed in or sit atop the dash and holds eight sounds - more than enough to offend almost everybody, with the constabulary included no doubt. While we think that customising your car horn is kinda cool, we also think it's kinda scarey that such tools can be sold to people without them undergoing an IQ test first - this device has the potential to cause uncertainty on the roads, or worse.

iLane is a small device that interacts directly with existing Bluetooth-enabled handheld devices, allowing drivers to fully access their email in transit. iLane notifies the driver of incoming emails and other important information by reading a brief summary in a "natural sounding voice". The driver can then listen to the entire email message; forward or compose a response using verbal instructions. Phone calls, SMS messages, and a number of email attachment types can also be managed. In addition, filters can also be set to prioritise mail, so you don't get hassled with that latest sales pitch from an online store.

Called TomTom Buddies, the feature lets you track your mates wherever you go – and in return, they get to track you too.

All you do is invite other TomTom users -- you'll have to shun your Garmin and Navman chums - to be your authorised 'buddy'. The idea is that the Buddies service will be like an exclusive club through which you can send each other text messages and locations you think are interesting.

If you feel like being a loner for a bit you can select the privacy option which lets you hide your location. Plus, if any of your Buddies keep sending you naff Points of Interest -- dodgy McDonald drive-ins, for example -- you can delete them.

But in-dash DVD players - which play in full view of the driver - are a newer phenomenon that have been made popular by shows like MTV's "Pimp My Ride," where mechanics spruce up old vehicles and install extravagant bells and whistles.

Indeed, in a survey by J.D. Power & Associates of new-car buyers last year, DVD players were favoured by 28 per cent of respondents, up from 16 per cent in 2000.

But these gadgets can drive motorists to distraction and have deadly consequences.

If installed as recommended, DVD players will not work in an automobile unless the emergency brake is on or the vehicle is in park. But owners can defeat the safety measures by installing the devices themselves.

However, this is just the beginning, as now we have the "cockpits" of our cars adorned with an ever growing plethora of devices that have little to do with safe driving and only serve as dangerous distractions.

Pro-active theft prevention

Full accreditation to Thatcham Category 5

Remote vehicle immobilisation

Innovative driver recognition system using Bluetooth technology

Satellite GPS vehicle tracking

SOC from world leading provider, BT redcare

Integration with onboard vehicle computer systems

Pan-European Coverage

Professional installation by VSIB accredited installers anywhere in the UK

So now you really have to carry your phone with you, and what happens when you lose your phone? Also, what if your car is stolen with the phone inside? A better solution would be to include a receiver so that you can text message your vehicle with a special code to disable it every time you leave the vehicle. If the car has a GPS system, why not be able to ping it for its location without alerting the thief?

Invented by a police officer, the PowerFlare safety light is your best friend in the dark. Whether you're using it on the road instead of old-fashioned flares or taking it with you on a hike, this innovative new product is for you. PowerFlare safety lights feature the latest in LED light technology, emitting light in all directions (can be seen for miles at night). Each PowerFlare unit is about the size of a hockey puck yet is strong enough to withstand being run over by trucks at highway speeds.

The fingertip frenzy isn't just about luxury cars, either. Sure, the $73,750 Range Rover SUV offers 10 buttons or toggles, not including the horn. And the $49,100 Acura RL sedan has 16, in addition to two thumb paddles for manually changing gears. But Toyota's humble — albeit fully-loaded — $26,040 Prius gas-electric hybrid sedan includes 15 places to mash a thumb into the steering wheel.

Automakers say the buttons help motorists keep their fingers on the wheel instead of having to fiddle with dials and knobs on the dashboard, making driving safer.