Car sensor can cut fatalities 25%

CARS equipped with electronic stability control are 25% less likely to be involved in fatal collisions than other vehicles, according to new international research.

It is estimated that there could be up to 90 fewer fatal accidents per annum in Ireland if all vehicles were fitted with such equipment.

ESC, which is the latest buzzword in vehicle safety, is a computer-controlled technology which automatically controls the vehicle by comparing the driver’s steering and braking actions to what is actually happening on the road.

It will take corrective action if on-board sensors calculate that the path of travel is different to the action taken by the driver by compensating for any over or under-steering.

Researchers examining accident data claim ESC is particularly effective in helping to prevent crashes in wet conditions or which involve a vehicle skidding or overturning.

Although car manufacturers have stated that all new vehicles in Europe are likely to be equipped with the lifesaving technology by 2015, only around 10% of cars currently on Irish roads are fitted with ESC.

EuroNCAP — the organisation which independently assesses the safety of road vehicles — claims there are huge differences in the extent to which ESC is offered to car buyers across the EU.

Unlike some EU countries, the vast majority of vehicles sold in Ireland do not come fitted with ESC as standard.

For example, ESC can only be bought as an extra with two of the best-selling models in Ireland, the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla.

However, it comes as a standard feature with all models sold in the Republic by BMW, Lexus, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Ferrari.

* For information on availability of ESC on cars sold in Ireland, check: http://www.chooseesc.eu/download/Ireland.pdf