Electronic Stability Control News

Consumer Reports Voices Support for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Proposal on Electronic Stability Control

NHTSA today is announcing a proposed rule to require electronic stability control (ESC) systems to be phased in on all light passenger vehicles.

"Electronic stability control is the single most important advance in auto safety since the development of the seatbelt," said David Champion, Senior Director of Automotive Testing for Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union. "We are pleased to see NHTSA recognizing the value of this system and hope that manufacturers will move rapidly to provide ESC on all the vehicles in their product lines, no matter what the cost."

"Since 2001, Consumer Reports has been urging carmakers and the government to make ESC standard on all SUVs," Mr. Champion said. "The benefits of ESC in keeping a vehicle in control and on its intended path have been evident from the emergency-handling tests that we perform on every tested vehicle."

Today, ESC is standard on 40 percent of 2006 passenger-vehicle models, or more than 100, and it is optional on 60 others, Consumer Reports said.