Definitive study shows ESC saves lives

14 November 2007

The RAC has renewed calls for car manufacturers to fit Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard in all vehicles following a landmark Australasian study that found that ESC systems dramatically reduce the risk of single car crashes.

The research, which was carried out by Monash University Accident Research Centre study on behalf of state and federal road agencies and automobile clubs, including the RAC, revealed that there was a massive 66 per cent reduction in single vehicle crashes involving driver injury for ESC-equipped 4WDs and a 30 per cent reduction across all vehicle types.  

Results of the crash pattern-based research were launched today by international road safety authority, David Ward - Director General of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Foundation for the Automobile and Society.

"These results show that ESC is vital technology for reducing the rate of single vehicle crashes in Australia and New Zealand. It is particularly important for 4WD vehicles where single vehicle crash risk is high and injuries are often severe," said Monash University study author, Dr Stuart Newstead.

The RAC's executive manager for member advocacy David Moir said car manufacturers should fit ESC as standard in all their models.  In the meantime, consumers should demand ESC is fitted to any new vehicle they purchase, particularly 4WDs.

"ESC is currently being fitted to around 40 per cent of new vehicles, which means that many new vehicles do not have this potentially life-saving technology.  It should be introduced to the Australian and New Zealand vehicle fleets as fast as possible," said Mr Moir.

"The safety specifications we set for vehicles today will affect crash risk and injury performance for the next 20 years that these vehicles are likely to remain on the road."

Mr Moir said the results were particularly relevant to WA because one in every five vehicle sold was a 4WD and sales of 4WDs were higher than the national average.

The study analysed crash patterns of 7,700 ESC-equipped vehicles manufactured from 1997 to 2005 that had been involved in crashes across Australia and New Zealand between 2001 and 2005.

These were compared with crash patterns of about 203,000 vehicles without ESC that crashed during the same time period.

The study found in single vehicle crashes:

• 25% reduction for ESC-equipped cars
• 51% reduction for ESC-equipped 4WDs
• 28% reduction across all vehicle types

In single vehicle crashes involving a driver injury there were even bigger reductions:

• 28% reduction for ESC-equipped cars
• 66% reduction for ESC-equipped 4WDs
• 30% reduction across all vehicle types.