http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/06/09/iihs_esc/index.html

Insurance group's report finds that stability systems could prevent one third of fatal wrecks if standardized.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that crash deaths on American roads could be reduced by one third if all vehicles were equipped with the Electronic Stability Control.

About 34,000 people are killed in auto crashes in the United States each year.

A comparison of rates of fatal crashes for vehicles that were identical except for the inclusion of electronic stability control, the Institute said, reveals that the vehicles with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) were 43 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
If all vehicles were equipped with the technology, instead of the current 25 percent, the Institute estimates that as many as 10,000 fatal accidents could be prevented each year.
The study bolsters earlier research by the Institute, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and others supporting the effectiveness of ESC.

ESC relies on two other underlying technologies: anti-lock brakes and electronic traction control. Anti-lock brakes use sensors to detect when a car's wheels are about to lose traction under hard braking. The system then pumps the brakes at an extremely rapid rate, allowing the wheels to regain traction so that the car stays in control and can be steered effectively.
Electronic traction control uses similar sensors to detect when a car's wheels are spinning out of control under hard acceleration. The system automatically reduces power from the engine until the wheels regain traction.

ESC uses a variety of sensors to detect when a car is skidding, or is about to skid, because of hard cornering and 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 findings indicate that ESC should be standard on all vehicles," Susan Ferguson, the Institute's senior vice president for research, said in an announcement. "Very few safety technologies show this kind of effect in reducing crash deaths."
The Insurance Institute released a study showing similar results last year, but now that more vehicles on the road have ESC, researchers were able to include more vehicles in the study to provide more detailed results.

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