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  4. What is electronic stability control?

What is electronic stability control?

“Electronic Stability Control is an active safety system that keeps drivers on the intended path during sudden maneuvers and lessens the intensity from crashes caused by a loss of control.”

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a feature that prevents your vehicle from skidding by monitoring the intended path versus the actual path. It helps drivers maintain their control over the vehicle during sudden braking or extreme steering maneuvers and avoid severe damage from crashes caused by a loss of control. The ESC consisting of various sensors and systems that enhance a car's stability and ensures better traction control and anti-skid support when doing extreme maneuvers, such as oversteering or understeering. For example, if a wheel that is spinning unusually faster than normal is detected, this active safety technology automatically activates the brake on the very wheel or momentarily decreases the engine power, helping it regain its traction. After the airbag is deployed in a collision if the system determines that there is little or no pedal movement from the driver, it considers the vehicle's speed and motion at that moment before applying the brakes to make sure the car safely stops.

The ESC consists of sensors that are under the control of an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU constantly monitors the data coming from a steering angle sensor to see if the steering input is coherent with the car’s intended direction. The information from a wheel speed sensor is used to determine whether any of the wheels are losing their traction and spinning faster than others. If the ECU detects such an abnormality on particular wheels, the system’s hydraulic unit, which serves to actively brake or reduce wheel speed kicks in to help the driver regain control over their car. Some ESC systems also work in a way in which the engine power is reduced to cope with the situation.
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