Module 1: Historical Background of Land

Transportation
“Life is like a train track, full of possibilities and happiness”
1. Winston Churchill –

Lesson Outline:
1. Lesson 1.1 Manpower,
Learning objectives: Animal Power, and Wind
Power
At the end of the Module 1, you shall be able to: 2. Lesson 1.2 Wheeled
Vehicles and Road History
1. Understand the Historical Background of Land Transportation; 3. Lesson 1.3 Evolution of
2. Discuss the Early Modes of Transportation; and Motor Vehicle

3. Identify the road history and evolution of Motor Vehicles.

INTRODUCTION
During the course of the 19th and 20th century, people’s everyday lives have been
change to extraordinary degrees and in previously unimagined ways by technological
advances. Achievements in transportation, communication, and the conversation of energy
have affected a modern society characterized by grate speed. Medical knowledge as
provided longer and healthier human life spans. Electronics, especially computer
technology, is not only in itself a huge field, but makes possible further advance in all other
areas of technology. The use of improvement of tens of thousands of materials in all forms
of industry have made of better standards of living and match more leisure time.

From the time of Galileo the present days, science and technology played a vital role
in shaping this world. While there is rapid urbanization technical and industrial
modernization takes place in every face of human lives. In the field of land transportation,
grate men in science and technology provided white range of knowledge in the development
of transportation facilities. Jane Joseph Entienne Lenoir initiated the development of the
internal combustion engine which paid way for the development of the automobile. The
invention of motor vehicle enabled man to go places with match east than when he was
using animal drown carriages.

Henry Ford, assembly-line process further transformed society by putting the public
on wheels and was adopted for the mass production of many other goods. The rapid
development of computers in the mid-20th century has also revolutionized motor vehicle
technology like those found in highly industrialized countries where there production line of
all mobile are mostly done by robots programed by computers. The variety of human needs,
in the areas of politics, social, cultural and economics motivated man to further improves his
transportation system with the aid of modern technology. Land mass transportation systems
like the light rail transit buses and huge cargo trucks were introduced to meet the demands
in transportation of people and goods.

The Philippines also adopted the modern technique of road building and soon it
constructed the first express way north of Manila- North diversion road. Flyovers, pedestrian
and motor vehicle overpasses were also contracted not only within the Metropolitan Manila
but also to other urbanized places outside of Manila. Traffic jams and traffic related
problems are also caused by accident and ongoing road construction. Beside this,
undisciplined driver’s passengers, and pedestrians, for traffic control system, and poor
implementation of traffic laws are the most abuse causes of traffic congestion. Inclement
weather sometime also causes unexpected traffic snarls particularly in Metro Manila were
because of drainage problems, flood waters rise along the main thoroughfares.

In the United States, traffic engineers and scientist noted the most abuse and
frequent culprit’s accidents and constructions site. The federal highway administration
estimate that 60% of traffic jams in the US are in this “non-recurring” category, which also
includes those jams triggered by rubberneckers.
 This course, Traffic Management and Accident Investigation attempt to awaken the
awareness of every individual on the causes and effects of traffic problems. This course
deals with two (2) phases of study which are traffic management and the investigation of
traffic accidents. The third part, practical driving, which is added as required by the
Commission of Higher education (CHED) in the Philippines. This course is primarily
formulated to meet the needs of Criminology students on the development of knowledge
about traffic management and investigation and the familiarization of the provisions of
Republic Act 4136 as they prepared themselves to their longing search of their vocation, law
enforcement, whoever, this could be a comprehensive reference for all who are concerned
with the rudiments of traffic management and accident investigation.

Module 1: Historical Background of Land

Transportation
Overview
This module presents the Historical development of Land Transportation used by
man. It is imperative for future traffic officers and traffic managers to familiarized
themselves to the various inventions and innovations related to land transportation to
enable them to understand the present day traffic problems. For better understanding, it is
divided into:

Lesson 1.1 Early Modes of Transportation (Manpower, Animal Power, and Wind Power)
Lesson 1.2 Wheeled Vehicles and Road History
Lesson 1.3 Evolution of Motor Vehicles

Try to answer this Module 1 Pre-Test

INSTRUCTION: Choose the best or nearest answer by writing the corresponding capital letter
of your choice.
1. The conveying of persons, goods and things from one place to another is referred to
as _______________.
1. Transportation
2. Traffic
3. Traffic management
4. Traffic Patrol
5. Which of these is the first domesticated animal?
1. Dog
2. Donkey
3. Chicken
4. Reindeer
5. The application of the processes of planning, organizing, directing and controlling to
traffic affairs is referred to as _____________.
1. Traffic Administration
2. Traffic Management
3. Traffic Operation
4. Traffic Supervision
5. What is the slang term used in referring narrow portion of the roadway due to traffic
congestion or where “build-up” usually occurs?
1. Gridlock
2. Congestion
3. Traffic Jam
4. Bottleneck
5. Republic Act 8750 is otherwise known as __________________.
1. Clean Air Act
2. Philippine Land Transportation Code
3. Seatbelt Law
4. Anti-Car napping Act
5. Gino was issued a student driver’s permit on January 25, 2001. When can he be
qualified to apply for a Non-Professional Driver’s License?
1. After June 25, 2001
2. On or after June 25, 2001
3. After May 25, 2001
4. After February 25, 2001
5. When a holder of a Driver’s license needs to be accompanied by a person with
normal hearing, what should be that indicated “condition” in his license:
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. Gino was issued with new professional driver’s license on March 16, 2004. When
should Gino renew his license?
1. March 16, 2005
2. March 16, 2006
3. March16, 2007
4. March 17, 2007
5. The allowable deductive points to pass the actual road test for driver’s license
applicant it:
1. 30
2. 20
3. 15
4. 10
5. If the plate number of a motor vehicle is AVC, what week of the month should it be
registered?
1. 1st
2. 2nd
3. 3rd
4. 4th

Lesson 1.1: Early Modes of Transportation

(Manpower, Animal Power and Wind Power)
Concept
Transportation is the movement or conveying of persons and goods from one location
to another.
Tracing the historical development of human’s method of transporting well and
people would take a voluminous book to record all the innovations made by man from the
ancient time to the present-day age. Man’s need to travel dates back as early as the
creation of human beings. Biblical passages alleged that men when Adan and Eve ate the
fruit of the forbidden tree, they were sent by God from Paradise of Eden.
Soon, others became nomadic. They constantly migrate from one place to another
according to their own detail knowledge of exploitable resources. The term “nomad”, from
the Greek “to pasture” was originally used to refer pastoralists- groups that migrates in an
established pattern to find pasture lands for their domestic livestock.

1. Manpower
1. Early man, who had no domesticated animals carried his own burdens, more so
today, manpower is important in transportation in many parts of the world.
Walking (traveling by foot)- it is commonly cited by reference books and literature that
man first used the power of his own feet in travelling while a load is either carried or
dragged. Coincidentally, the English word “pedestrian” was coined from the Latin word
“pedester”- which means to travel by foot.
1. Carrying Pole- In chine and other parts of the Far East, the carrying pole, balance
on one shoulder is a popular carrying pole. On island of the Pacific, the ends of the
pole are supported by two men, with goods suspended from the pole in between.
2. Back Load and Tumpline- In many parts of the world, goods are carried on the
back. In Subtemala, pots are carried on a wooden framework supported by a
 tumpline across the forehead. In the Andes, the load is held on the back by a strap
passing over the chest.
3. Sledge on Rollers- the moving of heavy burdens was to placed them on sledge
which rested on a retries of rollers.
4. Sledge on Runners- a simple sledge, probably man drawn was in use at the end of
the Old Stone Age in Northern Europe, as evidenced by fragments of wooden runners
which survived.
5. Travois- this travois, as the pole arrangement called- serves as a platform on which
the burdens are placed. The platform or crossed-beam poles are dragged by humans
or animals.
2. Animal power
6. The domestication of animals greatly increased the potential power available for
transportation. Pack animals were introduced as a conveyances mainly to save labor.
A man can tended several pack animals moving together, each of which (except
dogs) can carry more than usually can. Little advantage in speed is gained unless
part of the animal’s carrying capacity is sacrifices. Mentioned below were some of
the common animals used by human beings since the ancient times. Some people
groups are still using these animals in their transportation.
1. Ox- cattle, which were first domesticated in Mesopotamia, were used as draft
animals to draw war chariots. Oxen are still used as a draft animals in many region in
the world. In some parts of Africa, they are used as a pack animals and for riding.
2. Reindeer- this were first domesticated in Siberia in the beginning of Christian era. In
the Altai, Altai Mountains, they were ridden with saddles elsewhere, they draw sledge
somewhat like the dogs sledge of the Far North.
3. Dog- the dog, the first animal domesticated, is to slight to carry heavy loads. The
plain Indians sometimes packed light loads on dog’s backs, pilled goods on the
travois which the dogs dragged. In the Far North, the dog’s team drawing sledge are
the chief means of transportation; and in parts of Europe, the dog are used to draw a
small carts.
4. Donkey- the donkey or ass, first domesticated in the Middle East. Early dogs came
to use as a back animal before the domestication of the camel. Donkey caravans
carry goods between the cities of the South West Asia and Egypt and the donkey is
still the chief beast of burden among the farmers of the Near East, the Mediterranean
Area and Mexico, were it was introduced from Spain.
5. Llama- in pre-Columbian America, the llama was the only new world animal other
than the dog capable of domestication for use in transport. In the high Andes, the
Llama was used as a pack animal by the Incans their Spanish conquerors, as it’s by
modern Andean people.
6. Elephant- the Carthaginians used African Elephant in their war against Rome but in
recent centuries, this animal have not been tamed. In India, elephants were formerly
used in war and are still employed to some extent for ceremonial processions and big
game hunting. In Burma and Thailand, this huge animals are widely used in the
lumber industry.
7. Horse- around 2000 B.C, horse drawn chariots appeared in South West Asia and
1000 years later the Persians arrived with cavalry which gave mobility and power to
the German tribes who invaded Europe into the Central Asian conqueror Genghis
Chan in Europe horses were used to draw wheeled vehicles and for riding for some
time until the introduction of mechanized vehicle.
8. Yak- a long haired type cattle that lives at high altitudes on the Tibetan plateau and
in the neighboring mountain regions is ridden and used as a pack animal at heights
were horses and ordinary animal could not survived.
3. Wind power
9. Man realized the energy from the mass of moving air and learned to utilize such
powers to lift rather than to drag.
A mode of transportations that is being utilized with the power of the wind.
This paved way to invention of air lifted transportation vessels.
1. Ancient Chinese Kite- Based on Korean tradition, the kite was first used for
transport when Korean general employed one in building bridge. It was used by the
Korean in transporting things from the field of war. They were used as messages and
for measuring distances.
2. Da Vinci’s Ornithopher- It is the creation of Da Vinci. This was used to take flight
by flapping its wings. Design he created to show how humans could fly. It even had a
sophisticated flight control system.
3. Montgolfier Balloon- the Montgolfier brothers of France Joseph Michel and Jacques
Entienne have successfully released several balloons when they proposed to use to
condemned prisoners for the first ascent with passengers.
4. Siemens Rocket Plane- it was a late-World War I fighter aircraft from Siemens-
Schuckert. It reached service too late and was produced in too few numbers to have
any effect on the war effort.
5. Lilienthal Glider- Otto Lilienthal, a German inventor experimented Ornithopters. His
chief work was with gliders. His glider flights exert profound influence on the
development of aviation. A first flown by the German aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal
in 1894.
6. Santos Dumont’s Airship- Alberto Santos Dumont, one of the pioneers of lighter-
than-air craft. He built the first airship, he made a 30-minute round trip flight
between St. Louis and the Eiffel tower. It was an airship designed and built by the
Brazilian pioneer aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. The first airship that was used in
England.
7. Wright Brother’s Flying Machine- It is a first type of rocket plane where it is
based from the Siemens rocket plane. Wright Flyer was heavier-than-air, manned and
powered, able to take off and land under its own power and controllable along three
axes in order to avoid.