Automobiles changed the world in the 20th Century. They have given people the freedom to live, work, and travel almost anywhere they want. The
automobile industry has caused the suburbs to grow, and made the development of road and highway systems necessary. The manufacture, sale, and repair of automobiles are very important to the countries that produce large amounts of manufactured goods. But along with the advantages of automobiles, there have been disadvantages. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the world, and the automobile has brought about air and noise pollution. Despite the problems automobiles have caused, they are an important part of the culture and economy of the world.
Before the invention of railroads, streetcars, and automobiles, people traveled to work by horse or horse and carriage. A streetcar was a public passenger car operated by rails through the streets of the city. Traveling by horse was a slow means of transportation, so people had to live close to where they worked. People tended to live on farms or in the city where the businesses were located. In the late 1800’s, when railroads and streetcars were developed, people could live farther from work. The communities that grew next to or near the central cities were called suburbs. The growth of the suburbs dramatically increased when people started owning automobiles, because it became even easier for people to live farther from their work. Also, businesses and stores moved to the suburbs where the people lived. http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112389/history_of_cars.htm
Cars have been around for a long time and will be here in the future.
