#MotoringMonday – Technology and advancements which changed the way we drive – Part 2

We’ve established that technology has caused modern motoring to eclipsed the origins of driving.

Cars go further, trips are safer and everything from fuel to repairs cost a thousand per cent more.

The reality is we spend large portions of life behind the wheel or as passengers.

Without the novelty and function of the internal combustion engine, GPS navigation and tar roads, where would we be?

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Here are some more notable changes to modern driving, thanks to technology:

Airbags

Origins of the airbag system have been traced back to the early 1950s.

Both John Hetrick and Walter Linderer filed patents in 1951, with Hetrick’s granted in August 1953 and Linderer’s about three months later.

Their systems both utilised compressed air to fill the bag.

The introduction of impact sensors and accelerometers means modern airbags deploy with far more efficiency, usually with the assistance of gas, pyrotechnics or electricity.

Headlamp technology

Many moons ago, carriage lamps were primarily oil-burning, and proved unreliable at staying lit at speed.

This led to the introduction of acetylene, with its more resistant flame.

It was in 1898 when the Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford, Connecticut introduced optional electric headlamps on its Columbia Electric Car.

By 1962, the H1 halogen lamp was featured in the European market.

As technology advances, so did the use of halogen infrared reflective (HIR) and then high-intensity discharge (HID) systems, with their bluish colour.

Run-flat tyres

Far from early leather and iron hoops, modern tyres themselves are an innovation.

Although the first patent for a pneumatic tyre was lodged in 1847 by Robert William Thomson, the first practical model was made in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop.

He designed this in an attempt to reduce headaches in his son, when riding a tricycle.

Advancements moved to synthetic rubbers in the 20s, followed by development of the radial tyre by Michelin in 1946.

The first safety rim tyre was introduced by the company in 1934.

Both Chrysler (1958) and Dunlop (1972) developed fail-safe systems for tyres, while today’s run-flat tyres are considered an alternative to a spare wheel.

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