Insurance Institute Study shows Electronic Stability Program safety feature would reduce fatalities

ESP Automobile Safety Feature Saves Lives

A 2006 study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that fatal accidents would decrease by 43 percent if all vehicles were equipped with Electronic Stability Program (EPS) as a standard feature. As a result of this study and many others worldwide, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandated that all vehicles come equipped with EPS as a standard feature by the year 2012. However, many automakers are instituting EPS as standard on many models well before the 2012 deadline.

Many serious accidents are caused by skidding. The ESP feature is a microcomputer which measures the angle of the steering wheel or the driver’s desired direction and the actual traveled direction. If a difference is detected, the ESP reacts within a fraction of a second to brake individual wheels to stabilize the vehicle thus reducing or eliminating the skid.

Of course, EPS does not defy the laws of physics. If a driver takes a hairpin turn or is driving recklessly, EPS won’t be able to recover. Therefore, careful driving is still your number one safety feature that should come standard with every car.