Electronic stability control (ESC)
ESC helps prevent loss of control and could save you from a serious or fatal crash. Images courtesy of Transport Accident Commission, Victoria.
Electronic stability control (ESC) has been internationally recognised to significantly reduce crash rates by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles in difficult driving situations.
When a vehicle starts to understeer (run wide on a corner) or oversteer (fish-tail or spin outwards on a corner), it is detected by the ESC sensors. The brakes are automatically applied to individual wheels in an attempt to maintain the steering path chosen by the driver. This means the vehicle is likely to be more stable in the event of sudden evasive manoeuvres, on gravel at the edges of the road or when a surface is slippery or icy.
Crash analysis at Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) shows that ESC is associated with:
- a 32% reduction in single vehicle driver injury crashes1
- a 59.6% reduction in driver injury rollover crashes1
- an 81.6% reduction in 4WD rollover crashes (4WD offroad vehicles benefit significantly from ESC as they are particularly prone to roll-over crashes due to their high centre of gravity)1.
There are many different names for ESC in Australia, so it’s important to make sure you are getting the correct feature on your next vehicle. The howsafeisyourcar.com.au website has a list of names used for ESC*.
Note: ESC is different to antilock braking system (ABS) and traction control system (TCS). While ESC utilises the ABS and TCS hardware, it is a more advanced system that also takes into account vehicle’s rotational movement (yaw motion). ABS and TCS do not monitor vehicle’s yaw motion and as a result operate in a more limited range of situations.
1Scully, J. & Newstead, S. (2010) "Follow up evaluation of Electronic Stability Control Effectiveness in Australasia", Monash University Accident Research Centre.
