Notwithstanding all of that, Woychowski made clear, it's necessary to remember that the laws of physics still apply, so there may well be circumstances in which this technology will not be able to overcome gross driver error or other road hazards.
With a vehicle stability control system, a digital steering-angle sensor precisely compares the driver's intended path with the rate at which it is actually turning.
At that point, a sensor that measures lateral acceleration helps the computer determine whether available traction has been exceeded. The stability control system then factors in the vehicle speed, and tries to make corrections to match the cornering speeds and available traction.
In a real-world emergency such as would require quick lane changes, Woychowski explains, the stability control system calculates the desired direction of travel and adjusts the individual brakes and throttle in fractions of a second to optimize stability and control.
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