Global Auto Safety Research Verifies Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) Saves Lives
- Five Studies Project 30-35% Reduction in Single
Vehicle Crashes -
DETROIT, June 3 /PRNewswire/
-- A global body of new research data from the world's top auto manufacturing
countries confirms the effectiveness of Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), a revolutionary active safety technology. The studies corroborate
efforts by the ESC Coalition and leading automotive safety experts to
educate consumers on the benefits of ESC systems and the impact this
technology has on improving the overall safety of passenger cars and
light trucks.
The five international
studies from Mercedes and DEKRA Automotive Research in Germany; the
Swedish National Road Administration, the European Accident Causation;
and Toyota in Japan, provide significant data supporting the claims
that ESC can prevent crashes and help save thousands of lives. Despite
ESC's reported effectiveness, only six percent of vehicles on the road
in the United States are equipped with it. The ESC Coalition is encouraged
that these revealing finds will help underscore the importance of ESC,
especially to U.S. consumers, legislators and other industry decision
makers.
The ESC Coalition's
educational campaign urges consumers to request this active safety technology
-- which augments the passive restraints (air bags and seat belts) --
when purchasing a new vehicle.
"During my
20-year tenure with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
we were able to help drivers adopt life saving mechanisms such as seatbelts
and airbags," said Adele Derby, former Associate Administrator
of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a current member
of the ESC Coalition's Advisory Panel. "ESC, with its remarkable
capability to help prevent car crashes, is yet another life saving technology
that consumers must consider when buying a new vehicle."
Extrapolating the
data from these independent studies and applying it to the U.S. leads
to the revelation that ESC would save between 5,000-8,500 lives annually.
The details and implications of each finding are highlighted below:
* Mercedes data
indicates that the installation of ESC as standard equipment on all
of its vehicles has resulted in a 29 percent reduction in single-vehicle
crashes and 15 percent fewer crashes overall. Based on these figures,
the widespread installation of ESC in the United States could save
as many as 5,000 lives and nearly $35 billion in economic losses annually.
This study, which implements German government data, is especially
significant because all new Mercedes vehicles are equipped with ESC
as standard equipment.
* DEKRA Automotive
Research in Germany indicates a 27 percent reduction in serious loss-of-control
crashes. It also reports that 37 percent of corner accidents are definitively
influenced by ESC, confirming the Mercedes findings.
* The European
Accident Causation survey, conducted throughout Europe, shows that
ESC had a positive influence on the total number of loss-of- control
accidents.
* Similarly,
the Swedish National Road Administration study shows that ESC was
found to reduce accidents with personal injuries. It goes on to recommend
the implementation of ESC in new cars as quickly as possible and also
advises consumers to choose vehicles with ESC, especially in countries
with wet and icy roads.
* A study by
Toyota in Japan reports that vehicles with ESC showed a 35 percent
reduction of single-vehicle crashes, which could save an estimated
6,000 lives annually in the United States, and a 30 percent reduction
of head-on crashes, saving another 2,500 lives. The study also confirms
Mercedes' conclusion that ESC is more effective in higher speed ranges
when vehicle dynamics play a greater role and when the crashes that
occur are more severe.
Formed in 2003,
the ESC Coalition was established to inform consumers and other key
audiences about the benefits of ESC systems. It is a joint effort of
two of the largest automotive technology suppliers, Robert Bosch Corporation
and Continental Teves. As leaders in the development and manufacture
of automotive safety technology, both companies are working together
to increase the general awareness of this potentially life saving technology.
ESC Coalition Mission
Statement
The Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) Coalition was formed in 2003 with the mission of educating
consumers and other key audiences about the revolutionary active safety
technology known as ESC. The ESC Coalition members believe that the
widespread installation of ESC systems can play a significant role in
helping to prevent crashes on America's roads. The Coalition seeks to
increase the public's general awareness of this milestone in automotive
safety. Through a national education campaign, the ESC Coalition aims
to provide consumers with comprehensive information on ESC, including
educational materials, technical data, video demonstrations, industry
studies, and news about ESC.
For additional information
on the ESC Coalition, please visit www.esccoalition.com.
Source: Electronic
Stability Control Coalition
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