Thai
Elite Member
By Paul Williams
Ottawa, Ontario - After learning of another fatal crash in my area -- this one involving a small pickup truck and its four occupants, three of whom died -- I knew that the vehicle subject vehicle, a Ford Ranger, wasn't equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). I know this because ESC is not standard equipment on the Ranger, nor is it offered as an option.
Would ESC have helped? Results from surveys and research all over the world are confirming that ESC has a significant impact on the outcome of crashes involving loss of control (which account for nearly half the road crashes in Canada). According to Transport Canada, "Preliminary analyses of data for calendar years 2000 to 2005 indicate that ESC could have prevented approximately 30 per cent of fatal and injury crashes that involved loss of control, if all vehicles in Canada had been equipped with ESC." That would amount to a reduction of nearly 1,000 fatalities.
Research from the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) supports these findings, confirming that, "ESC reduces the risk of all single-vehicle crashes by more than 40 per cent-fatal ones by 56 per cent." The IIHS estimates that up to 10,000 fatal crashes (in the U.S.) could be avoided each year if all vehicles were equipped with ESC.
In the United Kingdom, the Department of Transport concludes, "That ESC equipped vehicles are involved in 25 per cent fewer fatal road accidents." From the Swedish Road Administration, "For serious and fatal loss-of-control type crashes on wet roads the effectiveness was 56.2
Ottawa, Ontario - After learning of another fatal crash in my area -- this one involving a small pickup truck and its four occupants, three of whom died -- I knew that the vehicle subject vehicle, a Ford Ranger, wasn't equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). I know this because ESC is not standard equipment on the Ranger, nor is it offered as an option.
Would ESC have helped? Results from surveys and research all over the world are confirming that ESC has a significant impact on the outcome of crashes involving loss of control (which account for nearly half the road crashes in Canada). According to Transport Canada, "Preliminary analyses of data for calendar years 2000 to 2005 indicate that ESC could have prevented approximately 30 per cent of fatal and injury crashes that involved loss of control, if all vehicles in Canada had been equipped with ESC." That would amount to a reduction of nearly 1,000 fatalities.
Research from the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) supports these findings, confirming that, "ESC reduces the risk of all single-vehicle crashes by more than 40 per cent-fatal ones by 56 per cent." The IIHS estimates that up to 10,000 fatal crashes (in the U.S.) could be avoided each year if all vehicles were equipped with ESC.
In the United Kingdom, the Department of Transport concludes, "That ESC equipped vehicles are involved in 25 per cent fewer fatal road accidents." From the Swedish Road Administration, "For serious and fatal loss-of-control type crashes on wet roads the effectiveness was 56.2
If I were an insurance company I would study VSC modes as carefully as top-speed and horsepower as part of my equation to quote rates.