http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/09/14/...esc/index.html

Federal regulators propose rule that will require new safety feature on all U.S. passenger vehicles.


Electronic Stability Control (ESC) uses a variety of sensors to detect when a car is a skid or rollover is happening, or is about to happen, because of hard cornering or slippery road conditions.
The system will rapidly apply the brakes for fractions of a second at individual wheels and simultaneously reduce engine speed to keep the vehicle under control. Such systems can often react even before the driver is aware that there is a problem.
The proposed rule would require all manufacturers to equip passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds with ESC starting with the 2009 model year and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all vehicles by the 2012 model year.
Several studies have shown ESC to be extremely effective in preventing the most dangerous types of crashes.
About 43,000 people are killed in auto crashes in the United States each year. The agency estimates that ESC will save between 5,300 and 10,300 lives annually and prevent between 168,000 and 252,000 injuries.
NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason called electronic stability control for cars "the greatest life saving improvement since the safety belt."