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October 2005 > 10/28/04
Accident Reconstruction
News Article
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
As the leading supplier of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Continental
Teves appreciates the thorough research that led to announcement
today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that
this available safety equipment could reduce the risk of fatal crashes
by 34 percent, the risk of single-vehicle fatal crashes by 56 percent
and thereby save thousands of lives a year.
This news is phenomenal in that motor vehicle safety
gains typically are more incremental. These benefits are staggering
and amount to a paradigm shift for the better in terms of the safety
of personal transportation.
The IIHS concluded that, "... widespread application
of ESC in the vehicle fleet can be expected to afford a significant
safety benefit" because the technology "reduces fatal
single vehicle crashes by about 56 percent, and all single vehicle
crashes by 41 percent."
Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
also gave ESC a strong endorsement based on preliminary analysis
that found SUVs equipped with stability control systems had a remarkable
63 percent fewer fatal crashes and 67 percent fewer single vehicle
crashes overall. Cars equipped with ESC had 30 percent fewer fatal
crashes and 35 percent fewer single vehicle crashes overall. The
NHTSA findings tracked with studies in Germany, Sweden and Japan,
and simulations at NHTSA's National Advanced Driving Simulator in
Iowa.
By any measure the NHTSA and IIHS results confirm
that technology advances have opened the door to a new era in the
safety motor vehicle travel. ESC, available today, is now "must
have" safety equipment for today's driving environment because
it can help prevent thousands of injuries and deaths. Consumers
should put ESC at the top of their safety features list when shopping
for a new vehicle.
In addition to the life-saving benefits of ESC, this
new data suggests that this technology more than pays for itself
in the saving of societal costs, which NHTSA estimates to be $230
billion annually.
Preventing rollovers and other out-of-control situations
from happening should be the first goal of motor vehicle safety
efforts, and having ESC on your vehicle contributes mightily to
that effort. Effectiveness is as high or higher than any automotive
safety equipment available today.
According to NHTSA, driver error is the cause of the
majority of crashes. ESC and other available safety technology to
help drivers avoid crashes altogether is an exciting new chapter
in the national resolve to make motor vehicle travel even safer
and more enjoyable.
For more information about ESC visit: http://www.contitevesna.com . B-roll demonstrating the safety performance of ESC is available.
A list of vehicle available with ESC is available at http://www.contitevesna.com/index2.htm .
Jim Gill, M.S., APR
(248) 393-5210
(248) 882-6309 (cell)
jim.gill@usa.contiteves.com
Source: Continental Teves
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