UK cars 'have less standard safety equipment'

According to figures released by the RAC Foundation, the anti-skidding technology known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is fitted as standard in just 55% of new cars in the UK. However, the figure for Latvia and Lithuania is 65%, and is as high as 76% in Denmark.

It has been estimated that if 90% of cars were fitted with ESC in the UK it could save 400 lives and prevent 3,000 serious injuries each year, while Europe-wide it could save 4,000 lives and 100,000 serious accidents.

The figures came to light as a new ESC awareness campaign was launched across Europe, led by motoring safety group the FIA Foundation.

Supermini concern

In the UK, 55% of new cars available have ESC as standard, 22% have it as an option, and it is not available on the other 23%. Of superminis sold in the UK, 8% have ESC as standard and 41% as an option, while on 51% it is unavailable.

RAC Foundation executive director Edmund King said: "The safest car on the road is the one which does not get involved in accidents. Driving carefully and attentively is perhaps the best way to reduce the chances of being in a crash, but technology can play an important role, too. That is why ESC should be standard on more cars in the UK and Ireland.

"It seems odd that more cars sold in parts of Eastern Europe have these safety features fitted as standard than cars in the UK. We are particularly concerned that ESC is not available in over half of all superminis bought in the UK. These smaller cars tend to be bought by the more vulnerable younger drivers who arguably need this protection most."

The European Commission is already planning to make ESC installation compulsory in all new passenger cars by 2012, but in the meantime it wants motorists to opt for the system because of its proven safety record.

"The benefits of ESC are undisputed," said EU Enterprise and Industry Policy Commissioner Gunter Verheugen. "We are preparing the obligatory installation of ESC into new passenger cars via international harmonisation. Until it becomes mandatory, the voluntary choice of ESC is more than welcome."

World leaders?

FIA president Max Mosley said he was frustrated to see the use of ESC in Europe falling behind the USA, where it becomes compulsory in 2011: "We should be leading the world in the introduction of a technology that was invented in Europe," he said.

"We want governments in the EU to give incentives, such as tax breaks to encourage people to buy cars with ESC on board. Thousands of lives could be saved and huge crash costs avoided so it makes sense to give the public a reason to choose ESC on their next car."

Other abbreviations are sometimes used to describe 'ESC', such as ESP (Electronic Stability Programs), DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and VSC (Vehicle Stability Control).

The system, pioneered by Bosch, works through a variety of sensors which continuously monitor whether the vehicle is losing control. If loss of control is detected, a small amount of braking is applied to whichever wheel is needed to help stabilise the course of the vehicle, in a way that no driver could ever achieve.