EU says electronic stability control (ESC) needs to become standard

The EU community says that electronic stability control (ESC) - a safety feature that automatically corrects a car that is about to flip over during an accident - needs to become standard. If ESC is standard, it could save 400 lives and 3000 serious personal injuries every year in the UK.

ESC can cost as little as £50 to install but only 40 % of new cars sold in Britain have it, compared with 60 % in Germany.

John Woodrooffe of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute says: "The system acts like a guardian angel sitting on the shoulder of the driver..when it senses loss of vehicle control, it reduces engine power and selectively brakes certain wheels to bring the vehicle back in line. It does all this in the background without input from the driver."

ESC required in all cars by 2012
Installation of ESC is predicted to be the first step on the path to automated vehicles which take a driver automatically to their destination regulate themselves and which are built with sensors, cameras and other high-tech devices that alert the driver before a road traffic accident happens.

Possible high-tech devices include speedometers that automatically reduce your speed if you are going too fast and a digital camera that monitors your eyelids and wakes you up if you're getting sleepy. These new cars are meant to be more intelligent than us and will theoretically stop us from making potentially fatal errors.

All this is part of the "third phase" of car accident prevention measures. Safety devices like air cushions and specialist seat belts are now standard, and manufacturers now want cars to stop accidents occurring at all.

An ESC system improves a car's lateral stability and electronically combines the anti-lock brakes and traction control systems to prevent loss of control, tipping and skidding.

Car accident compensation claim
Every two minutes a car accident takes place in the UK. For people who are pressed for time with a busy lifestyle, even the slightest error can cause difficulties.

If you are injured during a car accident, this can complicate your life even further. If you have suffered a personal injury through a non-fault accident, you may want to make a compensation claim.

Our team have extensive experience in personal injury cases and will deal sympathetically with your concerns. You won't lose a single penny of your compensation and you won't be charged a single thing at any time.

Call us now on 0808 143 43 42 and we will talk you through the claims process and answer any questions you may have.