Many would agree that the most important safety feature to appear on the market in recent years is electronic stability control (ESC) - or whatever name automakers use to call their own system.
Ford's is called AdvanceTrac and the company announced this week that it will be made standard on all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury retail cars and trucks by the end of 2009. Already included in its mid- and full-size SUV lineups, ESC expands to small SUVs and crossovers in 2007.
"This is an acceleration of our plans to standardize safety features and is in line with our goal to be America's car company," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for product development.
ESC is a tremendous help and confidence booster for drivers in emergency situations, preventing them from skidding off the road or rolling over. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates ESC systems can reduce single vehicle crashes by more than 40 percent and fatal accidents by 56 percent.
Of the 4 million ESC-equipped Ford vehicles on the road worldwide, more than one million feature AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control. This industry exclusive has two gyroscopic sensors to measure both the Yaw and Roll forces.
Ford's first application of electronic stability control debuted in 2000, while the 2003 Volvo XC90 was the first SUV to feature standard AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control.
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| New addition to Ford's 2007 lineup, the Edge crossover will be one of many vehicles to feature AdvanceTrac. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
"This is an acceleration of our plans to standardize safety features and is in line with our goal to be America's car company," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for product development.
ESC is a tremendous help and confidence booster for drivers in emergency situations, preventing them from skidding off the road or rolling over. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates ESC systems can reduce single vehicle crashes by more than 40 percent and fatal accidents by 56 percent.
Of the 4 million ESC-equipped Ford vehicles on the road worldwide, more than one million feature AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control. This industry exclusive has two gyroscopic sensors to measure both the Yaw and Roll forces.
Ford's first application of electronic stability control debuted in 2000, while the 2003 Volvo XC90 was the first SUV to feature standard AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control.