Electronic Stability

Electronic Stability Control

Many accidents are at least partially caused because the driver loses control of the vehicle. This can happen for many reasons: poor judgement on the part of the driver (for example too high a speed for a curve or corner), a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a hazard, or a slippery road surface. In such circumstances the vehicle often exceeds the limit of traction which the tyres have with the road and the car skids. Either it cannot turn quickly enough (under-steer) or it turns too quickly and spins (over-steer). Once the driver has lost control, it is very difficult to manoeuvre the vehicle safely, which often leads to an accident. Avoiding such loss of control, or correcting it once it has started, can help to avoid an accident.

The Electronic Stability Control detects the deviation between the vehicle's trajectory and the intended direction. Without any action on the part of the driver, small amounts of braking are applied separately to each wheel and this can bring the vehicle back to the intended course. The driver maintains control of the vehicle and often does not even notice that the Stability Control system has intervened.

First used in 1995, the system, which is based on ABS, had a penetration rate of 40% in new cars in 2005.