Stability control technology reduces the risk of fatal, single-vehicle crashes by 56 percent and could prevent as many as 10,000 deaths a year if all vehicles had the system, according to a study by an independent highway safety organization.
The system, known as electronic stability control, uses sensors to detect steering problems -- usually at high speeds or on slippery surfaces -- and activates individual braking of the wheels to help drivers maintain control.
The report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said stability control reduces the risk of fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32 percent. The reduction in fatal, single-vehicle crashes for sport-utility vehicles was 49 percent.
The system is especially effective in preventing rollovers.
The study said the technology was second to seat belts in effectiveness in saving lives, and a major automaker said it was more critical in preventing deaths than air bags.
Stability control is standard on about 40 percent of vehicles sold nationwide and optional on about 15 percent. The system is standard on every 2006 Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes and Porsche. Cadillac, Jaguar, Mini, Toyota and Volvo, among others, offer the system as an option on all models. The technology also is available on some vehicles from Chevrolet, Ford, Mazda, Saturn, Subaru and Suzuki.
Congress is considering legislation that would require stability control to be standard on vehicles manufactured after 2009.
"If we have consumers who are aware of this technology and are looking to buy it when they purchase a vehicle, maybe it will encourage manufacturers to equip them on a faster timetable," said Susan Ferguson, senior vice president of research for the Arlington-based insurance institute.
$300 to $800 cost
The authors of the study said consumers are not more aggressive in seeking out the systems partly because of cost. The price tag as a stand-alone option ranges from $300 to $800, the report said. Many automakers package the feature with other add-ons, such as power sunroofs or enhanced stereo speakers, which could add $2,000 or more to the cost of a vehicle.
Consumers also are sometimes confused by the different names automakers use for the system, including Electronic Stability Program, StabiliTrak and Active Handling.
General Motors Co. expects to make the system standard on all vehicles by 2010. GM first added the technology to its Cadillac DeVille in 1997. Forty-five percent of GM cars and trucks have stability control as standard or optional, said GM spokesman Alan Adler. He said the system is better in preventing deaths or injuries than air bags because air bags are effective only when vehicle occupants are wearing seat belts.
"These systems prevent the crash from happening," he said.
Ford Motor Co. first deployed electronic stability control on its 2000 Lincoln LS sedans. Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis said the system is on the "majority" of Ford's SUVs and passenger vans. By early 2007, it will be standard on all of its SUVs and vans. By 2010, Ford expects the technology to be on most of its vehicles, including its passenger cars.
DaimlerChrysler AG first introduced the system as an option on its 2004 Chrysler 300s and Dodge Magnums. By the end of 2006, it will be standard on all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and will be standard or optional on about 70 percent of all Chrysler models, said spokesman Cole Quinnell. Chrysler's stand-alone pricing for the system would be $500 to $1,000.
Slow adoption
Auto-safety advocates were pleased by the findings but were concerned about the slow pace of the technology's adoption.
Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen and administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the Carter administration, said the auto industry has been slow to add the stability systems just as it was with anti-lock brakes when they were introduced.