Another year and another Black Friday in the UK.

Image source: Dave Granlund

Is there a driver in your life who is particularly hard to buy for? Are you in need of some inspiration? Well, you are in luck. To get you into the spirit of Black Friday we have put together a list of Christmas gifts that every driver will love

Portable Coffee Machine

No, we are not talking about a portable mug, you can get an actual portable coffee machine. This is a real thing called the Handpresso Auto Mobile and drivers can make themselves an espresso on the road (not while driving) whenever they need it. A thoughtful and extremely useful gift. No more paying for overpriced coffee at service stations.

Image source: Puccino’s

Satnav  

Anyone “driving home for Christmas” will need a good satnav. Even though most smartphones have satnavs in them and there so many specialised apps to choose from it is still a good idea to have an actual Satnav. It will save your phone battery and they can be a bit more reliable than certain apps. Just remember to update them!

The Transporter

This is the perfect man film and even more so for men who love to drive. It is full of fast cars and road scenes that will excite anyone. There are 3 films in total and all action packed with driving scenes.

Drive

Two words: Ryan Gosling. Only joking this is a good example of when a book to film adaptation works. The chase scene in this film is fantastic and will have any lover of driving enthralled.  Be a real human being and a real hero by buying this for Christmas.

The DeLorean Story: The Car, the People, the Scandal

This is a fantastic book about the demise of both the DMC-12 and John DeLorean its creator. A sad book detailing the story of what could have been a magnificent car. It’s also packed with pictures, trust us it will go down a treat.

Heated Seats

These are the perfect winter gift, just like an electric blanket heated seat covers keep your body warm and would be loved by any driver. They are also, relatively inexpensive to buy especially if you buy online from websites like Amazon and eBay.

Maps

Some people still prefer old school maps than digital maps. The old, faithful paper map will come in handy when driving through remote areas with little or no network coverage. Paper maps can be far more reliable than phone apps. So, if you know a driver relying on his phone give him or her some backup maps (a valuable gift).

Image source: moving people blog

Steering Wheel Cufflinks

These are self-explanatory. Some drivers already have just about every gadget there is, for their vehicle if this is the case think outside the van.

Digital Stove

Every new year’s most of us pledge to eat healthier. Help the truck driver out by buying them a digital slow cooker, so they can cook on the road. Other cooking gadgets for the road include slow cookers, blenders and travel fridges. Healthy eating on the road is not impossible you just need the right equipment.

Power Bank

Running out of phone battery on the road can be a disaster especially for professional drivers. Put one of these bad boys in their stocking. Hopefully, we have given you some inspiration and ideas. Spend sensibly and think of the environment.

Monday the 21st of November kick starts Road Safety Week in the UK and it runs until Sunday the 27th of November. This clever campaign was set up in 1997 and is run by the road safety charity Brake. What’s happening? Well, basically they are asking everyone (drivers and non-drivers) to act this November and take the pledge to do 6 simple things to change your driver behaviour. These six pledges are:

1) Slow down (stick to speed limits set).

2) Stay sober (this is simple no drinking or taking drugs when driving).

3) Secure (making sure everyone in your vehicle has their seatbelt on).

4) Silent (keep your focus on the road and stay off your phone!).

5) Sharp (Be alert on the road, get your eyes tested every 2 years and take breaks when needed).

6) Sustainable (when possible use other methods of transport such as public transport).

For more information on these visit Brake’s website directly. You can also share your pledge on social media by using these 2 hashtags: #brakepledge and #roadsafetyweek. Also, on Sunday the 20th of November is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victim. With this in mind, we have put together a few of our own road safety tips to keep you safe while driving this winter.

Winter Driving Tips: Get your emergency kit ready. Don’t be surprised by winter – be prepared for it. Stock your kit with an ice scraper, de-icer spray, blanket, first aid kit, rope (for towing) a high visibility jacket and of course a good decent torch. Hopefully, you won’t need to use any of these items.

Change your tyres to winter or all season tyres. Especially if you live somewhere that is prone to snow. These have a greater silica content in the tread to prevent it hardening when the temperature lowers. This gives you a safer grip in cold and wet weather conditions. Make sure your tyres have at least 3mm of thread for winter driving. Don’t forget to check the age of your tyres and spares.

Keep your windscreen clear. You cannot drive safely if you cannot see in front of you and frosty weather is a nightmare for windscreens. So, if you are going out somewhere and know it will be late and icy when driving back it is a genius idea to keep a bottle of anti-freeze with you. If that doesn’t do the trick use your air conditioning to get rid of it and wait until you can see before setting off.

Get your battery checked. This is the most frequent cause of winter breakdowns. It’s rare that a battery lasts longer than five years and will especially struggle in cold weather. You need to get it checked and if necessary replaced to avoid an unwelcome breakdown.

Slow down. Especially when driving in wet and icy conditions. Remember bad weather conditions can double stopping distances and make it harder to react to hazards due to poor visibility. So, over the festive period leave home earlier and don’t rush. Sources: Brake