Comments to the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Electronic Stability Control Systems

The benefits of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in keeping a vehicle in control and on its intended path were evident to Consumers Union early on when we put the first ESC-equipped vehicles through CU’s series of emergency-handling tests in 1998. At the time, we said that “its [stability control] is a major safety advance with great life-saving potential. We think, like side bags, it should be available in more cars.” Since 2001, Consumer Reports has been urging automakers and the government to make ESC standard equipment on all sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and we began shortly thereafter calling for ESC on all vehicles.