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The electronic stability program in cars has been saving lives for years.
The system, which occurs under abbreviations such as ESP or ESC (Electronic Stability Control) depending on the manufacturer, can stabilize the car in extreme driving situations and thus prevent accidents.
Even if the systems have different names and are coordinated differently depending on the manufacturer, the basic functionality is always the same: Individual wheels are braked in a targeted manner to prevent the vehicle from understeering or oversteering, explains Achmed Leser from Tüv Thuringia.
"In some cases, there is also direct intervention in the engine control, which has even faster effects than braking intervention," says Leser.
All of this helps ensure that a car does not swerve or skid in extreme situations.
ESP systems can also intervene in the steering
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"The latest systems even intervene in the steering process and thus additionally support the driver in staying in the desired lane," says the car expert.
In order to be able to intervene at the right moment, the system permanently monitors the signals from various sensors.
The comparison of wheel speeds, steering angle and yaw rate enables unstable driving conditions to be identified in a fraction of a second.
If the control unit registers a different driving behavior than specified by the driver, it immediately intervenes in the driving process.
The vehicle will be kept in the lane as long as this is physically possible, says Leser.
"Of course there are still situations in which even a state-of-the-art ESC can no longer help."
ESP can be switched off at the push of a button - why?
But why can such a security system be switched off at the push of a button in some cars?
Some manufacturers offer different driving modes, for example to enable very sporty driving, explains Leser.
"Here, the control thresholds of the systems are shifted, so the regulatory interventions take place a little later."
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In contrast, only a few manufacturers are still able to deactivate the ESC completely.
As a rule, manual switching off only deactivates the traction control (ASR), which prevents the wheels from spinning.
"This can be useful in some roadway situations, for example when starting off on a slippery surface in winter", says Leser.
A moose is upside down
The ESP systems were developed by Bosch in 1995 and were initially reserved for expensive luxury vehicles, explains Tüv Thuringia.
The electronic stability programs made their first big appearance in 1997 in the so-called elk test: At that time, a new compact car overturned during a quick evasive maneuver and landed on the roof.
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This event paved the way for the widespread use of electronic vehicle dynamics controls in vehicles.
They decisively improved driving safety.
According to the accident research of the insurers (UDV), the electronic systems prevented around 200,000 accidents and saved 6,000 lives between 2000 and 2013 alone.
Since the moose test, ESP & Co. have been synonymous with driving safety, but it took almost 20 years to be used across the board in new vehicles: ESP only became mandatory in every new vehicle in Europe in November 2014.