Purchase an Italian language audio CD. Most foreign language audio programs consist of several CDs and are easy to incorporate into a commute. Some companies such as Penton Overseas and Amazon (see Resources) sell Italian language CDs specifically for use in the car.
Decide how much time you will spend listening to the CD. Each CD will contain several lessons which vary in length. For longer drives, try to complete multiple lessons and then go back and review them until you feel they are mastered. On short trips, complete as much of a lesson as possible and then review it the next time you are in the car.
Practice the basics. Practice pronouncing the numbers one through one hundred, the letters of the alphabet, days of the week, and months of the year. Knowing these will be essential to understanding basic Italian conversation.
Practice learning landmarks. Use an Italian dictionary to make a list of landmarks in your neighborhood such as a school, post office, grocery store, police station, park, etc. As you drive by each landmark, say it out loud to yourself in Italian. Continue to do this until they are memorized.
Listen to Italian music. Once you are familiar with the basics, listen to Italian music to see how much you can understand. Italian music CDs can be purchased online at websites like Amazon or downloaded from sites such as Radio Italian Music and Italia Mia (see Resources).