Quite aside from my reaction to young drivers who use their cars as a mobile boom box, annoying passers-by and destroying their own eardrums, I'm concerned over the fast-growing emphasis on in-car music.

Maybe that appears old-fashioned so let me assure you I love music, in particular contemporary jazz. And sometimes I listen to music while driving in order to relieve the tedium of traffic. The trouble is, it tends to distract me from what's happening on the road. True, that distraction is minimal but I believe driving demands the use of all of our senses and besides, how will I hear the sirens of emergency vehicles?

A lot has been said about the dangers of cellphone use in cars but no mention of iPods and satellite radio or those 6-or-8 speaker stereos designed to "turn your car into a concert hall." Now Matt Seaton of The Guardian has written an article in which he mentions a tragic accident where an iPod may have been a contributant. In this case it was a young woman on a bicycle who apparently didn't hear the sound of a large truck approaching.

Matt's focus is on bikes but his words apply equally to automobiles. Sadly, I'm not sure there's a solution to the problem except to persuade drivers that music and motoring don't mix in situations where 100% concentration is needed.