Electronic Safety Control (ESC) is touted as one of the most significant safety advancement in years, and its addition as a safety feature on new vehicle increases with each passing year. ESC refers to vehicle technologies that help drivers maintain control of their vehicle during emergency steering maneuvers by keeping the vehicle headed in the driver's intended direction.
Currently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) states that 58% of all cars are equipped with ESC as standard equipment.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) technologies accomplish this by using automatic braking of individual wheels to prevent the vehicles direction from changing too quickly (spinning out) or not quickly enough (plowing out). ESC cannot increase the available traction of the vehicle on the road, but it helps to maximize the possibility for the driver to keep the vehicle under control and on the road. ESC systems exist under many trade names, including Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), and Vehicle Stability Enhancement (VSE). To see a list of those vehicles in 2007 which have ESC as standard or optional equipment visit NHTSA Safer Car at: www.safercar.gov.