All cars should have ESP 'as standard'

Motoring publication What Car? launched a new campaign calling for "life-saving" stability control systems - often referred to as ESP (Electronic Stability Programs) - to be fitted on every new car at a cost of only £200.

Such systems - also known as DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) - can cost an extra £500 or more as an option, but What Car? claimed the additional cost would fall considerably if fitted as standard.

What Car? group editor Steve Fowler said: "Stability control systems are as important to driver and passenger safety as seatbelts are, yet they only tend to be fitted as standard to more expensive cars.

"When consumers have to pay up to £500 it's often ignored in favour of upgraded car entertainment kit. If car manufacturers fitted ESP as standard, it would only add on average £200 to the forecourt price of a new vehicle - a small price to save a life."

What is ESP?

Recent research by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that only 5% of British drivers knew what stability control systems were actually capable of.

This was despite the fact that several studies had shown that ESP could dramatically reduce the chances of being involved in a car accident.

In Sweden, for example, a reduction of 22% in certain types of skidding accidents has been shown, rising to 32% in wet conditions. Another Japanese study suggested a reduction in accidents of between 30% and 35%, with American and German research providing similar results.

The systems use a variety of sensors throughout the vehicle, which send information to a central computerised control unit. The signals are continuously monitored to determine whether or not the vehicle is losing control.

Video download

If loss of control is detected, the control unit applies a small amount of braking to whichever wheel is needed to help stabilize the course of the vehicle.

Some systems also adjust the power output of the engine to help further. This is all done by the control unit which reacts far more quickly, and in a way that no driver could possibly manage.

To help drivers understand how ESP and other such systems operate, What Car? has produced a downloadable video, available via its website - see link above/right.

Bosch, the main producer of stability control systems, recently set a target of ESP being fitted to half of all vehicles by 2010. According to the company the current fitment rate across Europe is 39%.

Bosch vice president Herbert Hemming said: "Skidding is the most common cause of fatal accidents - and ESP can effectively prevent it in most situations.

"Every study that has examined the effectiveness of the safety system therefore points to the same recommendation - no car without ESP."