A new package of road safety measures has been launched by the European Parliament, which includes mandatory electronic stability program (ESP) on all new passenger cars and commercial vehicles from November 2011 and for all new vehicles from November 2014.

ESP includes antilock braking systems (ABS) and traction control systems (TCS). The program is designed to kick in when a driver is in a critical or dangerous driving situation, such as a skid or emergency braking. The system is designed to counter the effects of a skid and keep a vehicle under control.

Currently only just over 50% of new cars in Europe are fitted with ESP technology, but it is estimated that ESP can prevent up to 80% of all skid related accidents. After the seat belt, the system therefore has the potential to be the most important safety technology in a car.
Supporting the new rules, Euro NCAP has included ESP in its new assessment procedure since February 2009 and from 2010, any car that achieves the maximum five star rating will have to offer ESP as standard.