Electronic Stability Control Created to Increase Safety of Rollover-Prone Vehicles

Since the early 1990s, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have grown to be among the most popular of vehicles. As more and more people bought and drove SUVs, it became very clear that the SUV design was unstable and caused rollover accidents.

The Ford Bronco II and the Ford Explorer, in particular, both became well known for their inherent instability. Consumer Reports covered the issue in an article about the Bronco II, though Ford executives tried to repress the information.

Ford's public affairs representative, Jerry Sloane, wrote in an internal memo, "We think, going in, we were in deep trouble regarding our rollover rates," which were three times higher than the Chevy S-10 Blazer. Data collected by the Fatal Accident Reporting Service (FARS) showed the company's SUVs were all the more unsafe, but Ford tried to cloud the minds of the public and continued selling poorly designed vehicles.

The case of Ford vehicles built with Firestone tires only contributed to the rollover problem. As the tread on defective Firestone tires would separate and cause a blowout, the Ford Explorer's instability made a rollover very likely.

From litigation that dealt with the Firestone tires and Ford rollovers, electronic stability control (ESC) was created. ESC uses yaw control (rotation around the vertical axis) along with an anti-lock braking system so that when a driver loses control of the vehicle, ESC delivers brake features to each wheel. In doing this, ESC helps correct skidding and can bring the vehicle back under control.

ESC is a good example of the safety features and innovations that are often born from lawsuits and litigation. Auto defects have thrust into public awareness, despite attempts by manufacturers to conceal safety problems.

Read more about the role of litigation in auto safety.

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