Electronic Stability Control
Helping to prevent crashes
Recent developments in vehicle safety have concentrated mainly on improving crashworthiness and reducing injury: better energy absorbing structures; airbags; improved seat-belt systems and so on.
Car makers continue to improve in these areas, though the focus is now shifting more toward crash avoidance systems, made possible by the sophistication and reliability of electronic control systems and sensors.
The first and most widely installed crash avoidance system was antilock brakes (ABS) – under emergency braking, the electronics intervene to ensure that maximum braking effort and full steering control can be maintained without skidding.
ABS needs to sense when an individual wheel is about to lock-up and then adjust the braking effort applied to that wheel, and it is this basic capability that underpins and enables systems such as Electronic Stability Control.
What does ESC do?
In a nutshell, sensors are able to detect the onset of a slide – the car's actual course starts to deviate from the intended course – and the system automatically applies small amounts of braking to individual wheels as necessary to regain stability and prevent the slide.
This is a huge benefit because so many accidents result from a loss of control in a bend – caused by excessive speed or a need to take rapid evasive action. A slide or spin is very difficult for most drivers to recover from.
Most car manufacturers now have stability control systems available, and there have been several studies looking at the benefits. Details vary, but all show a significant reduction in the risk of an accident for cars fitted with Electronic Stability Control.
Electronic Stability Control is not a substitute for careful driving though, and won't be able to prevent all accidents, particularly when speeds are excessive or conditions extreme. They still rely on the car's basic braking system and tyres, so it's essential that these are in good condition.
Latest Research
New research, published by the Department for Transport in June 2007, has found vehicles equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) are 25% less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those without it. If every vehicle on the road were fitted with ESC, this would equate to approximately 380 fewer fatal accidents each year.
The research concluded that ESC was especially effective in helping to prevent crashes that involved a vehicle skidding or overturning, with the potential to reduce serious accidents like this by up to 59%. As well as this, it concluded that ESC could offer additional benefits in adverse road conditions such as wet or snowy weather.
Visit the Department for Transport website for full details of the report.
What should I look for when buying a car?
Some manufacturers offer stability control as standard, others as an optional extra. All have their own names or acronyms, which can make comparing specifications difficult.
Acronyms used include:
- ESP Electronic Stability Programme
- ESC Electronic Stability Control
- VDC Vehicle Dynamic Control
- DSC Dynamic Stability Control
- VSA Vehicle Stability Assist
- ASC Active Stability Control
- DSTC Dynamic Stability and Traction Control