It's being called one of the biggest advances in vehicle safety since seatbelts and airbags. Electronic Stability Control or ESC is a computer assisted safety system designed to help drivers where they have lost control of their vehicle at high speed. They may be swerving, skidding or coming into a bend too fast.
With ESC, automatic braking is applied to individual wheels to help stabilise the car and keep it safely on track.
Extensive research overseas indicates ESC reduces the frequency of single vehicle crashes and saves lives. However many car makers are not including ESC technology in their Australian-marketed models even though it's fitted in the European versions.
Select a category to see if ESC is fitted in your car:
Did you know?
- Car manufacturers use a variety of names for ESC such as Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Stability Program, Vehicle Stability Assist and Vehicle Stability Control
- Research in the USA shows ESC could reduce the risk of single vehicle crashes by 40% and up to 67% for 4WD and sports utility vehicles*
*Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW
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