Impact of Transportation Technology - Research Paper Example

Impact of Technology (Automobile) Technology is a body of knowledge aimed at accomplishing a specific task. Transportation technology is one of the technologies that contribute significantly to the lives of people. The paper will expound on the impacts of automobile technology on the lives of people. It will achieve this by providing detailed information on the advantages as well as the disadvantages of automobile technology to the lives of people. It will also expound on the contributions of technology to the economy and environment. The paper will also provide a conclusion and recommendations that need to be implemented. Introduction Technology is a body of knowledge aimed at accomplishing a specific task. Technology is applied in almost everything in human lives. Its application ranges from communication, transportation, securing data and scaling businesses along other functions. The application of technology leads to the introduction of different products. If well applied, technology benefits humans. The opposite is the case; if technology is wrongly applied it can result to hazardous effects to humans and the environment. Transportation technology is often associated with cars, buses, and trucks that carry passengers as well as goods from one point to another (Jha, 2013). According to Jha (2013, p.1), automobiles are very elemental in our society. Automobiles are used to transport passengers to far places, transport commodities as well as to provide services to humans. They have managed to make life of humans easier and faster. 1. Societies before introduction of automobile technology Before the invention of the wheel, people experienced many diverse transportation challenges. Social interrelations were highly minimized; conveying of the message between person living miles apart involved walking long distances. The coming together of people from different places over an issue was also a big challenge. It involved wastage of a lot of time as well as exhaustion of the persons involved. Economic activities were also curtailed by long distances and heavy weights of products. This was a result of the movement of goods from one place to other involving humans; humans carried luggage on their back as well as their shoulders. The use of sledges was also rampant in some societies. The sledges enabled people to transport heavy loads from one place to another. To enhance the movement of sledges, people also employed the use of rollers (Jha, 2013). According to Jha, the introduction of the wheel also played a very significant role in the societies before the introduction of the automobiles. It made life easier; with the wheels, people managed to cover long distances through the aid of animals such as horses that pulled carts and wagons. Political systems of societies were also challenged by lack of automobiles. Leaders were obliged to cover long distances in order to convey messages as well as restore societal challenges. 2. Introduction of the automobiles to societies The introduction of automobiles involves self-propelled vehicles for transporting goods and passengers (Jha, 2013). Their introduction contributed significantly to the society; it provided people with a platform to expand their lives. Apart from enhancing movement of passengers to far places in order to access goods and services, they also lessened the workload that involved moving heavy loads from one place to another (Rogers, Wright & Yates, 2013).Introduction of automobiles also gave people the opportunity to live far from railroads. Transportation also contributes significantly to the modern societies. 2.1 Infrastructure and transportation of millions of people With the advancement in automobiles, millions of people move around the world. People use their cars and trucks to reach their homes and places of work. People also depend on their cars and trucks in moving goods as well as visiting friends and relatives. The increase in usage of automobiles also resulted to the introduction of new infrastructures (Rogers, Wright & Yates, 2013). The U.S., for instance, has constructed superhighways and paved bridges for usage by its citizens. 2.2 Automobiles’ economy contributions The main automobile industry plays a very significant role. It supports diverse businesses ranging from upstream (mining, steel, metals, fuel, plastic, rubber, electronics), core automotive (original equipment manufacturers and component manufacturers) to downstream (finance and insurance, aftermarket services and auto-parts, used car market, fuel supply, and transportation) (Rogers, Wright & Yates, 2013).This contributes significantly to economic development. Innovation within automotive also benefit other industries like the insurance industry that depends on innovative ideas such as automobile telematics of the automotive in running its activities (ATKearney, 2002). Automotive also plays a significant role in nation building. It enhances the generation of the government revenue from vehicle sales, business taxes and personal income taxes. It also generates revenue through production in addition to selling new and used vehicles, automobile accessories, and services delivery. Additionally, it generates government revenue through value added taxes as well as local taxes and import duties. Japan, for instance, generates $7.72 billion auto-related taxes in 2012, a value that was roughly 10 percent of all tax revenues in Japan. Additionally, as automakers realize the advantages of globalization via exports, they also attract foreign exchange earnings. According to (ATKearney, 2002), this boosts a country’s current-account performance as well as enhance coexistence of the trade balance with other nations. The automotive industry also contributes to global economic development. Globally, automotive contribution to all GDP output is about 3 percent. According to (ATKearney, 2002), foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows also correlate with automotive output, mainly in growing economies. Automotive FDI also introduces investment in related industries and, as a result, it can enhance the development of a broad automotive ecosystem. Currently, South Korea is the fifth largest producer of vehicles and has benefitted significantly from the multiplier effect just like the adjacent industries that have profited from the growth. Additionally, (ATKearney, 2002) claims that every job in the main industry results to more than four jobs in either upstream or downstream industries. Automotive industry also encourages people development, foster R&D as well as support innovation (ATKearney, 2002). 2.3 Industrial development as a result of automobile technology Across the world, automotive is the key contributor of regional development. Industrial clusters emerge in areas surrounded by manufacturing facilities, used car dealerships, and transportation services. These clusters contribute to the emergence of new municipalities with well-developed road infrastructures, new housing development as well as railway and freight connectivity (Rogers, Wright & Yates, 2013). Majority of the auto-economies including Detroit in South Korea and the U.S have the industrial clusters. Guangzhou, one of the provinces in China, raises approximately 13 percent of China’s GDP (ATKearney, 2002). 2.4 Mobility as a result of Automobile Auto-mobiles have contributed significantly in the field of mobility. They have enhanced movement of goods and passengers across geographic areas. Increased vehicle ownership, as well as improved infrastructures, have resulted to urbanization. They have increased the movement of people from cities to developing sub-urban areas. This movement has enhanced the spread of revenue resources in new states (ATKearney, 2002). 2.5 Automobile and people development In the current world there is one vehicle for every five people; automobile increase quality of life via increasing mobility, comfort as well as safety. The industry also results to job creation as well as skill development. In the U.S. for instance 313,000 people secured jobs in adjacent automotive industries. 3. The negative effects of automobile Despite contributing significantly to the lives of people, automobiles also have diverse challenges. Their introduction is associated with loss of lives, pollution of the environment as well as depletion of natural resources. 3.1 Economic and lives loss as a result of automobiles According to Jha (2013), highway accidents result to distressing toll of fatalities as well as injuries because of the wide spread use of automobiles. According to him, each year there are thousands of motor-vehicle accidents worldwide and more than 50,000 accidents as a result of use of automobiles in the U.S. He also asserts that more than 41,000 people lose their lives to highway crashes. The social and economic loss of such accidents is massive. Efforts have been put to reduce the number of accidents in many states, but the extensive use of the automobiles still lead to the occurrence of fatal accidents. To curb the occurrence of accidents in the U.S., the Congress enacted the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Act of 1966. In enacting it, the U.S. required automobiles to emphasize on the use of safety features like seatbelts. Between 1973 and 1974, the U.S. Congress also tried to reduce the number of fatalities as well as conserve fuel by passing the 55 miles per hour as a national speed for all automobiles in the U.S. although the law managed to reduce road fatalities by a small fraction, it is evident that the extensive use of the automobiles still result to road fatalities. 3.2 Pollution of the environment The current atmospheric pollution is also as a result of the introduction of the automobiles. The thousands of vehicles in the highway contribute immensely to the pollution of the atmosphere. Automobile exhausts contribute approximately 50% of the pollutions in large cities. Exhaust fumes from automobile engines contain polluting substances such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and other compounds. These substances get activated by the heat from the sunlight resulting to brown compound referred to as smog. Air pollution has contributed insignificantly to agricultural production. For instance, McCarthy (2007) claims that air pollution has resulted to serious effects on the pine forests in Los Angeles. Additionally, McCarthy (2007) associated air pollution as a result of automobiles with causation of respiratory distress among young children, elderly people as well as people suffering from respiratory complications (Fernandez & Lutz, 2010). The consequences of air pollution as a result of extensive use of automobiles are very significant in Tokyo. According to McCarthy (2007), the issue of air pollution is very serious in Tokyo. This is evidenced by the fact that oxygen is given to policemen who carry the role of directing traffic at busy intersections. 3.3 Traffic congestion as a result of extensive use of automobiles City streets congestion existed even before the introduction of the automobile, but the problem has been magnified by the fleet of motor vehicles that enter and leave major towns at peak traffic hours. The extensive production of automobiles throughout the world makes the effort put towards reducing congestion futile. The heart of the congestion problem is that many cities were designed in a way that would accommodate only a few auto-motives. Majority of the vehicles were supposed to pass on different highways far from the cities. As a result of this, controlling this problem is difficult as well as expensive. 4. Conclusion and Recommendations Introduction of automobiles has contributed significantly to the lives of people. They have allowed people to explore places as well as transport heavy loads. They have also contributed significantly to economic and industrial development. Additionally, the automobiles have enhanced mass movement of people from one place to another. Despite their advantages, automobiles have also contributed negatively to the lives of people and the environment. Apart from resulting to pollution of the environment, they have led to the emergence of respiratory diseases. The extensive use of automobiles has also led to traffic congestion along road fatalities. Shifting the mode of transport to other means of transport such as maritime and inland water bodies will contribute significantly towards reducing the rate of air pollution, road fatalities as well as improve the quality of roads linking up different modes of transport. Introduction of substitute fuel as a way of addressing global warming as well as security of energy supply will also aid in minimizing the rate of pollutions. Introduction of speed management programs, smart occupant protection, as well as the creation of awareness among drivers will also aid in reducing the number of road fatalities. Introduction of new technologies such as clean and economical engines will aid significantly in minimizing the rate of air pollution as a result of combustion of fuels. Advocating use of public-transit systems will also contribute significantly towards reducing the level of congestion in cities. Additionally, the introduction of bus systems with a large number of needed capacities will also aid in solving the motor-vehicle traffic. References ATKearney. (2002. The Contribution of the Automobile Industry to Technology and Value Creation. Retrieved from http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/2426917/The+Contribution+of+the+Autom obile+Industry+to+Technology+and+Value+Creation.pdf/8a5f53b4-4bd2-42cc-8e2e- 82a0872aa429 Fernandez, A. & Lutz, C. (2010). Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Us. New York: St. Martins Press. Jha, S. (2013). A Text of Automobile Technology: For Class 9. Delhi: Goyal Brothers Prakashan. McCarthy, T. (2007). Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment. New York: Yale University Press. Rogers, G., Wright, M. & Yates, B. (2013). Gateway to Engineering. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More