Follow up evaluation of electronic stability control effectiveness in Australasia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ESC systems in reducing crash risk in Australia and New Zealand. Crash data from New Zealand and five Australian states, collected as part of the Used Car Safety Ratings project were analysed and consisted of 439,543 vehicles without ESC and 27,252 vehicles with ESC, with the latter group comprising of 175 different models. The overall crash reduction estimates of this study were in general similar to those previously estimated. The effect of ESC on all types of crashes leading to driver injury was a significant 8 per cent reduction in risk. ESC was associated with a significant 8 per cent increase in the risk of multiple vehicle crashes, but this effect was not evident when restricted to crashes that resulted in the driver being injured. ESC was effective at preventing single vehicle crashes and particularly effective at preventing rollover crashes. When fitted to 4WDs, ESC reduced the risk of rollover crashes by 82 per cent. However, unlike studies from other countries, the results of this evaluation suggested that there was a trend that ESC was less effective at preventing serious single vehicle crashes than less serious single vehicle crashes. The reason for this is not clear but it is possible that in Australasia serious single vehicle crashes are not occurring in circumstances where ESC can successfully intervene after driver input, for example when the driver is asleep.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: 39p
  • Serial:
    • Issue Number: 306

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01353510
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: ARRB
  • ISBN: 0732623766
  • Files: ITRD, ARRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Oct 4 2011 9:17AM