Anti-skid technology will reduce car accidents

New technology in the car industry is continually pushing up safety standards for new vehicles with a number of patented inventions claiming to be able to drastically cut the number of serious accidents.
This is also the case with a new technology introduced by Bosch called Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which the company claims will prevent up to 80% of car accidents that involve skidding.
The company revealed that for the first time the number of vehicles with the technology fitted as standard to new models sold had risen above 50% in 2008. This was a 7% increase from 2007.
Bosch did note a worrying trend though and that was the lack of uptake of the ESP system for small cars, which only 13% have the technology fitted as standard. Generally smaller cars will have least amount of features as standard but as the manufacturer notes "ESP is just as important for small cars as for larger vehicles."
Worldwide the technology has had a mixed take-up, with continental Europe lagging behind the UK with just of 50% of new car sales being fitted with ESP. The US, on the other hand, has plans underway to make the system for new cars compulsory after 2012. The EU is thought to be considering following the US lead and making the system compulsory by 2014.
Werner Struth from Bosch noted that even though the equipment doesn’t come as standard for many small cars it is available as an extra.
"Buyers should therefore be sure to ask for the safety system as an optional feature if it is not already on board as standard equipment." He noted.
The safety testing organisation Euro NCAP, which researches accident prevention and tests cars for safety across the EU, said they would only award their highest 5 star rating to cars fitted with the system after 2010.
"I am confident that acceptance of ESP will continue to increase in the years to come as well. A number of independent international studies demonstrate the system's life-saving effectiveness. This is why its mandatory installation is increasingly under discussion worldwide." Added Struth.
NCAP results
This years NCAP ratings are the first to adopt a more rounded set of criteria for car safety and two cars in particular has come out extremely well.
The Toyota Avensis and the tiny Toyota iQ were both awarded the prestigious five star rating for their commitment to safety technology. The results are calculated as a percentage, with a result over 70% being eligible for the five star rating. The iQ was awarded 79% and the Avensis led the field with a whopping 81%.
The new NCAP ratings take in to account four separate criteria and each are given different weighting. Adult safety accounts for 50% of the score, child safety 20%, pedestrian 20% and driver assistance devices 10%.

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