A vehicle is any device intended for the transport of people or goods. This means that the word vehicle is a general term, since it does not specify what type of transport we are talking about. In other words, we have to specify what type of vehicle we are talking about (maritime, non-motorized, terrestrial or space vehicle).
The means of transport
If we understand all means of transport within a set, we can use the word vehicle.
The need to move or take things to other places is the general principle of all means of transport. From the invention of the wheel to the space age, human beings have not stopped creating all kinds of machines with the purpose of searching for new territories or in order to travel for fun or simply to trade and take products to other places.
Each vehicle or means of transport has a specific function. If we want to go to a nearby place and enjoy the scenery, a bicycle is a good option. If the objective is to send goods, it is preferable to use the train, the ship or the plane. Vehicles such as the bus, the subway or the car are used in urban life. If a person has a physical disability, they can use an adapted vehicle that allows them to get around. In short, each vehicle has its moment and its specific function. In a way, the different vehicles that have been appearing are the symbol of a technological revolution, just as it happened with the train in the 19th century or with the automobile in the 20th century.
In recent years there has been talk of alternative vehicles, which are all those that do not use fuels such as oil or diesel but use non-polluting fuels, such as solar or hydrogen vehicles.
The media
The concept of vehicle is not only applicable to the different means of transport. In fact, the media is just as much a vehicle. Instead of people or goods, the information media act as if they were machines, but in this case machines that transfer ideas and knowledge. The potential of the media as vehicles is vast and it is worth remembering some of its possibilities:
1) as tools for education,
2) as means for people to interact (as happens with social networks) and
3) as ways to explore the universe.
Photos: iStock – forest_strider / Bartosz Hadyniak
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