Electronic Stability Control Will Be The New Safety Standard

摘要

Preventing risk is even more important as predicting risk, and that's one reason electronic stability control (ESC) will play a major role for fleet managers in the near future. Within a few years, all new light duty vehicles sold will contain ESC, a feature that has been called the greatest automotive safety innovation since the seat belt. ESC is a vehicle control system comprised of sensors and a microcomputer that continuously monitors how well a vehicle responds to a driver's steering. ESC incorporates yaw-rate control into the anti-lock braking system (ABS) to help drivers maintain steering control. When ESC detects skidding, it automatically brakes individual wheels to counter under-steer or oversteer. ESC prevents the vehicle from sideways skidding and losing control, and keeps the vehicle moving along the path chosen by the direction of the steering wheel. The effect is similar to a giant hand gently ensuring that the car is headed in the right direction and out of danger. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 fatal crashes could be avoided each year if all vehicles were equipped with ESC.