ESC: 20% crash risk reduction

ESC, also known under a series of other names such as electronic stability programme, vehicle dynamic control and vehicle stability assist, has been hailed as 'the biggest lifesaver since seat belts' with the potential to cut accident risk by 20%.

But, latest figures show that in the UK only 42% of cars are equipped with ESC and, while awareness of the technology has almost doubled among UK motorists in the last two years only 50% of drivers are presently aware of its life-saving ability.

Thatcham, the Motor Insurance Industry Research Centre, calculates that more than 400 lives and 3,000 serious injuries on UK roads could be saved if all new vehicles were equipped with ESC (RoadSafe: winter 2006/7) - the all-new Ford Mondeo, for example, which goes on sale in the UK in June, will have ESC as standard across the range. Meanwhile, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 4,200 to 5,400 of the 10,000 deaths caused each year in the US in rollover accidents could be prevented if ESC was on all vehicles.

Skidding is the main cause of traffic accidents involving serious injury or death, and the anti-rollover technology senses when the driver loses control and automatically applies braking pressure to individual wheels to help stabilise the vehicle and avoid skidding. Now, in a bid to raise both awareness among drivers and encourage more vehicle manufacturers to fit ESC as standard on models, eSafety Aware!, a European Commissionbacked organisation, whose members include RoadSafe as well as industry, public authorities and user organisations, is to launch the major communications campaign under the banner 'Choose ESC!'.

At the May 8 event at the Bridgestone European Testing Centre near Rome, participants will get the chance to test the difference between driving an ESC-equipped car and one that is not fitted with the life-saving technology and there will be a series of seminars.

The event, which also has the support of the European New Car Assessment Programme, marks the public launch of eSafetyAware!, which seeks to accelerate the market introduction of such lifesaving technologies by organising information campaigns and dedicated events aimed at creating awareness of eSafety benefits among policymakers and endusers. Road safety has gradually increased in the European Union as safety systems such as airbags, seatbelts and ABS brakes have become more and more advanced and effective.

However, despite important improvements, each year more than 40 000 people die and 1.7 million are injured on Europe's roads. The European Union wants to halve those figures by 2010 and says intelligent vehicle safety systems, so called eSafety systems, can make a huge contribution.

Further campaigns are planned in other high-priority areas such as the in-vehicle emergency call, eCall. David Ward, director general of FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) Foundation, who is chairing eSafety Aware!, said: "Intelligent vehicle systems can make a major contribution in solving road safety."

Bosch, the world leading producer of stability control systems, has opened eight ESPerience driving centres throughout the UK staffed by trained instructors to help fleet managers with ESP information and training.

Further information is available by emailing Bosch. esperience@uk.bosch.com, or telephone 01895-838531.

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