For a while now, the worlds of IT and motoring have been on a collision course. I use the term with intent.

On the one hand, technology can improve safety, with systems ranging from simple anti-lock brakes to full drive-by-wire systems that can prevent a spin before the driver is even aware of the need for clean underwear. And when such systems fail there are airbags, some with variable inflation to cradle the head with precisely-modelled cushioning. A few cars then call the emergency services.

On the other hand there are the distractions of chip-equipped vehicles. The tin box I learned to drive in emitted growls from the engine and grinding sounds from the gears. Today my car will make a shrill peep if it's too cold outside; running low on fuel; going too fast; a door is open; a seatbelt isn't worn; it's low on oil; a bulb has blown; or if it needs a service. The engine I can hardly hear.

It also has a radio that often interrupts my listening pleasure to tell me about congestion I'm already sitting in.

Even better-equipped cars bring the distractions of hands-free phone kits, satellite navigation and, in the case of posh BMWs, a Microsoft-based computer system called iDrive offering a kind of mouse next to the gearlever and fresh opportunities to crash.

Most of this stuff is, thankfully, beyond the control of the IT manager. If anyone has to worry about such things, it's a fleet manager. I have my doubts about whether this situation will last, however. And the change starts with music.

It's seven years since Diamond's Rio MP3 player appeared, four years since Apple's iPod launched, and at least three years since it was absolutely obvious that lots of people carry an awful lot of music around in a little box. And now the carmakers are reacting.

In a couple of years most new cars will be iPod ready, either with a holder and a jack or with the facility to synch with the player.

Navigation is next. You can now buy an iPaq PDA that comes with a satellite navigation system for about £350, including a sucker to attach it to the windscreen.

Despite this, Ford still asks £800 to put satnav in a humble Focus; while Mercedes wants £2,000 to equip an E-Class. Unlike the iPaq, neither system will help a salesman once he's lost on foot. And if the in-dash system breaks, it'll need a time-consuming and inconvenient trip to the garage. If the iPaq goes pop, the worst-case scenario is another £350.

The car makers will react to this too, no doubt, once fleet managers cotton on to the price differential. The makers will fight back with more sophisticated in-dash systems or standard-fit PDAs.

From these two seeds, further complexity will grow. Email synching; voice-recognition dictation. Give it a few years and we'll all be video-conferencing from lay-bys (or, more probably, from £5-per-mile traffic jams).

There's nothing you can do to stop this: just be aware, and be prepared.