People in developed countries around the world have come to view the automobile as the preferred way to travel. They allow for independence: transportation from point to point without having to rely on others to get where we want to go, to do what we want to do. Long-haul and short-haul trips can be undertaken whenever you wish, alone or with other people. Citizens of the modern world must often wonder how people were able to live without cars. To think that humans once traveled everywhere on foot or on horseback is not just a humorous idea for reminiscing; it is a foreign concept that would not allow the existence of today's social and business culture. It is almost as unrelated that the first automobiles were driven by steam. The challenge with steam engines was to make them small, but still powerful enough to provide enough energy to move more than themselves. Additionally, these engines burned coal, a messy and inefficient fuel.1 With the invention of the internal combustion engine came a long line of innovations around the world that led to the automobiles we enjoy today. Along the way, automobiles have become an essential part of the lives of many people in the United States. Their functioning and usefulness have also become common; something that most people take for granted, without any knowledge of the years of innovation that led to the automobiles we enjoy today. Dangers of Driving With the convenience of driving comes many risks. Cars are heavy, powerful objects that move at high speed. When they collide with each other or with other objects, enormous unfavorable forces come into play. The composition of the human body is not designed to counteract the accidents that can occur with such machines... middle of paper... and the General Estimates System (Washington, DC: ) i. [return to text]4. Inventor Profile: Nils Bohlin, 2002, National Inventor's Hall of Fame, February 28, 2004, . [return to text]5. Technical Recruitment, 2004, Volvo, 28 February 2004, . [return to text]6. Volvo Safety Center, 2004, Volvo, 28 February 2004, . [return to text]7. Volvo saved my life, 2004, Volvo, February 28, 2004, . [return to text]8. Autoliv, Inc, 2003, Illustrations, March 1, 2004, . [return to text]