Many car accidents occur during or after a rain storm. With wet roads cars take longer to stop and drivers can more easily lose control of their vehicles. This is especially true if you are driving a car or truck without adequate tire tread. In a move that could ultimately save up to 10,000 lives each year on U.S. roadways, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration intends to implement plans to make new crash prevention technology standard equipment on every new passenger vehicle sold in America by 2012.

The NHTSA will require the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on all new passenger vehicles. ESC uses automatic computer controlled braking to keep drivers from losing control on slippery roads or in emergency maneuvers, in many cases preventing deadly rollovers from occurring. Like airbags and seat belts, this technology will save thousands of lives.

ESC technology will put the brakes on crashes and help drivers keep control of their cars in critical situations. It will save lives, and give American drivers and passengers the peace of mind that comes from knowing their vehicles have some of the most technologically advanced safety equipment available. Certainly, this technology should be mandatory and every driver and passenger can benefit in the not too distant future.

The final rule will require all manufacturers to begin equipping passenger vehicles with ESC starting with model year 2009, and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all new passenger vehicles by the 2012 model year. The NHTSA estimates ESC will save between 5,300 and 9,600 lives annually and prevent between 168,000 and 238,000 injuries. The estimated average cost of ESC is approximately $111 per vehicle, for those vehicles that aleady have anti-lock brake systems.