By Tim Ferguson, 10 May 2007 13:15
NEWS
The European Commission is backing an "e-safety" technology which it thinks could help cut road accidents.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has been pinpointed as the key technology to help reduce road fatalities across Europe, and the European Commission has launched a "Choose ESC!" campaign to raise awareness of the tech in co-operation with the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).
More than 40,000 people die and more than one million are injured on Europe's roads every year. Loss of control - often from skidding - has been identified as a major cause.
ESC detects when a car is about to skid and applies different brake pressure on individual wheels to stabilise the vehicle and avoid a skid developing. It is particularly effective in wet and icy conditions - reducing the risk of accidents by up to 20 per cent.
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European commissioner for information society, Viviane Reding, said the Commission sees the campaign as the first step towards all new cars being fitted with ESC by 2012.
The take-up of ESC has been relatively low in Europe. Denmark and Sweden have the largest proportion of vehicles fitted with ESC as standard, while Ireland and Malta languish at the bottom with ESC sometimes not even an option, according to a Euro NCAP survey.
Comments
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1. anonymous
Here is a novel idea, if people drive appropriately to the weather conditions it would reduce accidents.
Novel idea 2, restrict the maximum speed of cars. In the UK the maximum speed anyone can legally drive is 70MPH, most cars are capable of traveling much faster and frequently do so. Lorries are restricted so why shouldn't cars and vans be.
Novel idea 3, if drivers insist on having sat nav, make the sat nav restrict the maximum speed of the car to the limit of the road that it is being driven on.
2. Alastair Warren
Autocar were pushing this last year.
How about mandatory periodic retests for everyone?
I've done three advanced tests since passing my car and motorcycle licence decades ok.
Driving by numbers doesn't work already. I have a GATSO outside my house and a school at the end of the road.
Some enforcement would be a start.
3. Jeremy Wickins
@ anonymous driver. Yes, by all means, ensure people are trained to drive appropriately for the conditions. Reward experienced drivers somehow. Maybe even make the reward some way of loosening electronic restrictions on speed (I don't agree with them, but I think they are coming). Remember, though, that all speed limits are aribitrary, and strict enforcement is irrational. There is absolutely no reason why people cannot travel at speeds well in excess of the arbitrary 70mph at certain times of day/night, and this should be recognised. It isn't speed that kills, though inappropriate use of speed may lead to accidents which may cause death or injury.