Stability control could be mandated

US officials are expected to announce a proposal that would require all vehicles to be fitted with stability control systems that could greatly reduce the change of rollovers and single-car crashes.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over 10,000 lives a year could be saved by such systems that use the brake and engine systems to prevent cars from losing control.

The IIHS estimates that if all vehicles had stability control, fatal single-vehicle crashes would be reduced by 56% and the overall risk of single-vehicle crashes could drop up to 40%. If the proposal is accepted, it’ll be at least 3 years before carmakers will be forced to comply. Already, approximately 50% of cars sold in the US have stability control.

We think the proposal should go one step further and also demand traction control, which can help in rainy conditions. Adding TC is not significantly more expensive that stability control anyway. On that note, isn’t it about time the NHTSA forced car makers to implement ABS? This is a system that’s been available in most road cars since 1978 and has been proven to reduce stopping distances in an emergency.