ESC technology could cut road deaths by up to a quarter

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What are the benefits of ESC?

ESC technology could cut road deaths by up to a quarter
UK based research has found that 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 was conducted by the Vehicle Safety Research Centre (VSRC) at Loughborough University, for the UK Department for Transport.

The study 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 rain, ice and snow. Studies from various countries have already shown it to be very effective at reducing accidents. This latest study, however, focuses on UK roads specifically and shows similar results to other important global studies on ESC effectiveness.

Oversteer
If you swerve to avoid an obstacle, oversteer can occur making the vehicle turn more than intended, ultimately spinning. The rear of the car might skid out and turn the car in the same direction as the intended steered direction, but at a faster rate and not under the control of the driver. ESC can prevent this by braking individual wheels to maintain control.

Understeer
If you are driving too fast into a corner, understeer can occur. This would result in a loss of steering control as your car continues to follow a straight path. ESC can help retain steering control and allow the car to travel in the desired direction.