Technology And Cars

2 Pages 542 Words

In a world that is always changing, the vehicle is changing right along with it. Advances like four-wheel drive, safety, and personal amenities have gone from nothing to everything. These technological advances have not just happened overnight. It took many years of trial and error to figure out exactly what the customer wants.
Four-wheel drive was probably the first major advance in vehicles. Before where vehicles would bog down and could only be pulled out, when stuck, now could be locked into four-wheel drive and possibly eased out of the situation without being pulled. The first vehicle that used four-wheel drive had locking hubs. Locking hubs had to be manually turned on, this involved the driver having to get out and turn the hubs to the locked position on the front two wheels. With technological advances this chore is now automatic in most cases. Some vehicles still have the manual hubs. It is as easy as pushing a button in today’s four-wheel drives to get the performance that was once a sometimes difficult task.
One of the most important aspects of a vehicle today is the safety features. Seatbelts, airbags, reinforced frames, safety glass, and automatic gasoline shutoff valves are just a few of the many features that technology has brought to the vehicle. All of these features are key elements to the overall safety of the vehicle. One of these features that I find the most interesting is the automatic gasoline shut off valve. In the case of a accident, if the vehicle is damaged enough the gas will be shut off from the engine. This feature prevents gas from continuing to pump into the engine and in most cases prevents gas from leaking onto the ground. The combination of keeping extra gas out can prevent an explosion.
The first vehicle consisted of a, somewhat, seat, steering wheel, and four tires. This was the only way you could get the vehicle and in only one color. Today advances in technology have made...