These minutes are related to cars. Can you guess how long-ago cars were invented?

This is actually a complicated question, as the modern car developed over a long period with lots of trial and error.

Over 500 years ago Leonardo da Vinci created designs for a car-like vehicle. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century (nearly 400 years later!) that inventors like Karl Friedrick Benz managed to develop working motor vehicles. These early cars only had three wheels.

Over the past 100 years, cars have become very popular. In 1895, there were only 14 or 15 cars in the whole of Britain. Seeing a motor car on the road would have been very exciting and unusual! The speed limit was 20 miles an hour across Britain and no one had to take a driving test.

Today, there are over 30 million cars on the road in Britain.

Do you think the increase in cars in Britain is a good or a bad thing? Do cars create any problems?