Mandatory ESC A Safety Win

Author: NRMA Motoring & ServicesDate: 23 June 2009

Today's announcement by the Australian Government that Electronic Stability Control (ESC) will be mandatory in all new cars from 2011 is a road safety victory for motorists.

NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin today congratulated the Government and said introducing mandatory ESC would save lives by making cars safer.

"Electronic Stability Control can help a driver recover from a slide or a skid and enable them to bring an uncontrollable car to a safe stop," Ms Machin said.

"Ensuring all new cars sold from 2011 will have this technology installed is a great result if we are serious about saving lives on our roads," Ms Machin said.

"One of the pre-requisites for cars being awarded the top five-star rating through the NRMA-supported Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is that they must have ESC.

"This highlights the importance ESC brings to making all vehicles safer."

Ms Machin said improving vehicle safety was one part of the trifecta to reducing the number of deaths on Australian roads.

"Making vehicles safer is one important aspect of saving lives, but we must also do more to improve the quality of our roads and provide more driver education to all drivers," Ms Machin said.

Contact: Peter Khoury 0439 133 115