Trucks and Buses to Get Electronic Stability Control

The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

by Christopher Jensen

June 3, 2015

Citing a desire to make large trucks and buses safer, federal regulators said on Wednesday that they would require new vehicles to have electronic stability controls to help drivers maintain control during a skid.

“Electronic stability control is a remarkable safety success story, a technology innovation that is already saving lives in passenger cars and light trucks,” the secretary of transportation, Anthony Foxx, said in a statement.

“Requiring E.S.C. on heavy trucks and large buses will bring that safety innovation to the largest vehicles on our highways, increasing safety for drivers and passengers of these vehicles and for all road users.”

Electronic stability control uses a computer and sensors to detect when the front or rear of a vehicle is moving inconsistently with the position of the steering wheel. The system can brake a single wheel to nudge the vehicle back on course.

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