electronic stability control
NHTSA Mandates Stability Control for Heavy Trucks, Buses
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is forcing heavy trucks and large buses to use electronic stability control (ESC).
Under the Hood: What is Stability Control?
AutoGuide’s last installment of “Under the Hood” investigated traction control; today it’s time to look at another safety feature. This one has nothing to do with gripping the road and everything to do with keeping your vehicle shiny-side up.
Stability Control Has Saved Over 2,200 Lives: NHTSA Report
According to a recent study released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federally-mandated electronic stability control (ESC) technology is saving an increasing number of lives each year.
This is What a Wrecked Chevy Volt Looks Like
Would you trust new technology with your life? One Chevy Volt owner did, and walked away from a rather serious smash-up mostly unharmed. A forum user on GM-Volt.com posted pictures recently of his totaled Volt on the New Jersey Turnpike. The car (number 187) became a martyr after a nasty highway collision. “Except for some…
Changes To UK MoT Car Inspection Could Cost Owners Exorbitant Sums
New rules to Britain’s MoT inspection program, used by the government to declare whether vehicles are roadworthy or not, could end up costing motorists thousands of dollars for non-essential repairs. European Union regulations, which Britain is subject to, require that electronic stability control systems must be checked, and any vehicle that doesn’t pass will be…
Battle Of The Sexes: Which Gender Is The Safer Driver?
Men and women disagree on a lot of things, but when it comes to which gender is the better driver, there’s one thing most of us can all agree on – women are. But the two sexes do have something to learn from each other when it comes to driving. This information is coming to…
Stability Control Has Lowered Fatal Accidents by 18 Percent Says Safety Agency
According to a new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), stability control has made cars much safer, lowering fatal accidents by eighteen percent. The government study used statistics from 1997 to 2009 to assess the effectiveness of stability control systems. The study also noted in 2005, less than twenty percent of new vehicles were sold…
SUV Drivers Least Likely To Die In Accidents
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has confirmed what all of those Ford Explorer drivers thought all along: SUV drivers are least likely to die in a crash. But all that mass is dangerous! What about all those rollovers? Well, with the advent of electronic stability control (already mandatory on U.S. cars) to prevent the…
Fully Defeatable Electronic Stability Control Targeted by European Safety Agency
Electronic stability control systems save lives. That’s a fact. And as a result every vehicle now sold in the U.S. comes with a stability control system. But only a fraction of cars sold come with full defeatable ESC – the type that lets you shut off all the electronic nannies and hand the tail end…
Cadillac CTS and Infiniti M37/M56 Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Award
It’s good to be good – especially when you’re singled out for it. And that’s what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just did with the 2011 Cadillac CTS and Infiniti M37/M56, which earned Top Pick Safety Awards in the large luxury class and earned the top rating of good in recent roof strength…
2010 Cadillac SRX Receives Top Safety Pick Award
Luxury can also be safe. The latest vehicle to win an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award is the Cadillac SRX, a midsize luxury SUV. It earned the IIHS’s top safety designation after getting a good rating for rollover protection. The Cadillac SRX had previously earned good ratings for front, side,…
2011 BMW 5 Series Drives Off With Top Safety Pick Award
You can bet that BMW is celebrating this win. The redesigned 2011 BMW 5 series just earned good ratings in all four safety evaluations, garnering it an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick status among large cars. Adding to the accolades is the fact that this first 5 series ever to earn…
ESC Absent in 2010 Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Aveo, says Consumer Reports
Consumer watchdog, Consumer Reports has released its list of 2010 cars, which includes the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Aveo, that do not come with the electronic stability control (ESC) safety feature. A computerized technology that improves the safety of a vehicle’s stability by detecting and minimizing skids in a turn, electronic stability control will…
Kia Forte Announced as 2010 Top Safety Pick by IIHS
The Kia Forte took home the 2010 Top Safety Pick, given out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is the third model from the Kia/Hyundai brand to win the rating for 2010, following the Kia Soul and the Hyundai Sonata. To be considered for this award, vehicles must earn the top rating of…
