Estimated Fatality Reduction by the Use of Electronic Stability Control from 2016 Fatal Crashes

The Transport Accident Commission has persistently campaigned in support of the safety benefits of various vehicle technologies, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC). ESC has been demonstrated to be an effective countermeasure in Australia, leading to reductions in loss of control situations resulting in serious injuries and fatalities (Scully & Newstead, 2010). Recent analysis of 2016 Victorian fatal crashes where ESC could have been effective (lane departure crashes, n=140) estimated the potential for ESC to have saved lives in these crashes. It was estimated that 41 deaths could have been avoided, had the crash involved vehicles been fitted with ESC.