I sometimes brainstorm about the next greatest advancements in technology. Internet in the car was something I considered a real possibility, but I just didn’t realize the advancement would come so soon.

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show a number of car manufacturers are showing off their dashboards equipped with the Internet. Sounds pretty cool, but what about the safety issue? With local governments just starting to make roads safer by reducing the use of cell phones and texting, how will they regulate using the Internet in the car?

As an iPhone addict, I cannot tell you how helpful the iPhone has been in the car when needing directions or calling in a take out order. But it also has the potential to be very dangerous. I’m constantly holding myself back from checking email, Facebook and the weather at red lights. It would be even harder for me to ignore Internet on the dashboard!

While the car manufacturers are incorporating some restrictions of use while driving, the risk is still very high. And it doesn’t seem like it will stop with the Internet. A Ford executive was quoted in a recent New York Times article as saying “We are trying to make that driving experience one that is very engaging,” said Jim Buczkowski, the director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford. “We also want to make sure it is safer and safer. It is part of what our DNA will be going forward.”

Making driving engaging? Isn’t watching the road, checking the stations on satellite radio, talking on your cell, putting on make-up, filing your nails, eating, reading a book, watching a movie, and checking your GPS system engaging enough? When will it stop?