What is Electronic Stability Control (ESC)?
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a stability enhancement system that has been designed to assist motorists in critical driving situations such as a partial or complete loss of control or on slippery roads.
For example, when a driver enters a curve too fast, the vehicle may spin out of control, but with ESC, automatic braking is applied to one or more wheels to help keep the vehicle under control.
What are the benefits of ESC?
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US, has conducted extensive studies in the area of ESC and has indicated that widespread application of this safety feature will not only reduce the frequency of single vehicle crashes but will potentially save a number of lives on roads, everyday.
What research has been done on the effectiveness of ESC in single vehicle collisions?
Extensive research has been undertaken on ESC in the UK, US and Germany. The results from all studies have been promising, indicating ESC could be one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in vehicle safety.
Who has undertaken this research?
Significant research has been undertaken by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety in the US and the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre (Thatcham) in the UK.
How many lives do you think ESC could save?
In 2006, 1601 people died on Australian roads; however preliminary research indicates that the use of ESC could reduce this number by over 300.
How many single vehicle collisions are there on our roads?
It's not an exact science, however we do know that in 2006, 1601 people died on Australian roads, of which 569 were single vehicle crashes. Consequently over 300 of these lives could have been saved if ESC had been a standard fitment in the vehicles involved.
Will ESC reduce the total number of collisions on our roads?
ESC won't prevent the fender-bender crashes that so often occur in heavy traffic, but it is designed to help a driver in a situation where they have lost control of the vehicle at high speed or on a slippery road.