Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Vehicles are coming equipped with more and more safety features. Some of the equipment is doing its job, while some isn’t. Still, it’s largely up to the driver to stay safe by keeping their vehicle under control in the event of a near-accident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), electronic stability control technology (ESC) is one of these technologies. In a recent three-year study from officials with the NHTSA, this technology has saved more than 2,200 lives.
This technology has been mandated on all passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. It was part of a federal safety regulation that was issued back in 2007. It was phased in over the years and now applied to all light vehicles that were made after September 1st of 2011.
Our Delray Beach car accident lawyers understand that ESC is designed to recognize adverse driving conditions. This is done by continuously measuring and evaluating the speed of the vehicle along with the wheel angle, the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate. It is also used to measure this information compared to a driver’s steering input with the vehicles actual motion. If the technology detects an unstable situation, the ESC automatically intervenes to help to driver to stabilize the vehicle. It applies the brakes as needed to reduce engine torque.
“These numbers send a clear message about this technology’s life-saving potential,” said Ray LaHood with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
According to the NHTSA’s analysis into the technology, ESC has saved more than 630 lives in 2006, more than 700 in 2009 and more than 860 in 2010.
The technology helps drivers to keep control of their vehicle in some of the most dangerous situations. NHTSA officials also report that it helps to prevent some of the most dangerous kinds of motor-vehicle accidents. These kinds of accidents include keeping drivers from running off of the road and from rollover accidents.
Consumers who are looking to purchasing a new vehicle should consider one that comes with this kind of technology. The NHTSA has a list of vehicles, made from 2005 to 2010, that have this technology on the Safe Car website. Consumers can also look up specific makes and models of a potential purchase vehicle to get this information as well. Do your homework. Make sure your choosing the safety and most reasonable vehicle for your needs.
To promote this technology, the NHTSA proposed a federal safety standard back in May to require this technology on large buses and on large commercial trucks. This was the first proposal of its kind for these large vehicles. With ESC technology, officials believe that close to 60 percent of these rollover accidents and about 15 percent of loss-of-control accidents could be prevented.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident, contact the injury lawyers of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-800-561-7777 today!
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