Good to know that there are taxis with ESC. Ready to Drive Safety?

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Electronic Stability Control –a system that saves lives

Numerous independent international studies have proven the ability of ESC/ ESP^® to save lives. Skid prevention is in fact today's most important active safety system. It automatically corrects over and under-steering when a driver goes into a bend too quickly or risks losing control of the vehicle after an evasive maneuver. The system helps to keep vehicles on the road by comparing the driver's intended vehicle path with the car's actual direction of travel at that point in time. If these diverge, ESC applies brakes to individual wheels, throttles engine speed and reinstates the vehicle's correct course. EU regulations now require this technology to be installed in new vehicle models from November 1, 2011, and in newly registered vehicles from November 1, 2014. Studies suggest this could save over 10,000 lives each year in the USA alone, which is why experts regard ESC as the most important safety technology to be introduced since the seat belt. Since February 2009, ESC has also been included in car safety testing by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme), which tests and rates the safety of vehicles by using simulated accident scenarios. From 2010 new vehicle models can only achieve the highest, five-star rating if they are fitted with ESC as standard.

The underlying technology

The software behind ESC uses sensors to determine the driver's desired vehicle position every seven milliseconds and monitors the reaction of the vehicle to his commands or external interference. Sensors constantly process measurement data on wheel speed (indicates the speed of the vehicle), steering wheel angles (recognizes the movements and position of the steering wheel), yaw rates (measures rotational movement about the vertical axis) and lateral acceleration (measures acceleration in the direction of the car's transversal axis). The data is then used to compare actions specified by the driver, e.g. by moving the steering wheel, with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the ESC system detects an unstable condition (for example, following a sudden evasive maneuver) it reacts within milliseconds to stabilize the vehicle through brake applications to individual wheels. A single wheel or several wheels can be controlled in this way, depending on what is required. In addition, ESC can also reduce excessive speeds effectively by reducing engine torque.

Continue to:

Emergency Brake Assist
Traffic Sign Recognition
> Electronic Stability Control (ESP® / ESC)
Blind Spot Detection 
Lane Departure Warning
Intelligent Headlamp Control
Adaptive Cruise Control

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