Stability Control May Be Mandated

There have been few automotive safety technologies as significant as stability control. Along with airbags and anti-lock brakes, stability control is one of those “smart” devices that make us safer behind the wheel. This week federal officials are expected to announce a government mandate that stability control become as standard as seat belts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing a rule that would require all vehicles to be equipped with the system, which costs around $900 as an option. The move could save as many as 10,000 lives a year.

Stability control aids in controlling a car during emergency situations, such as skids or hydroplaning. The system is most useful in cutting down single-vehicle accidents, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says if all vehicles were equipped with stability control — roughly half of all vehicles now are — single-vehicle fatalities could be reduced by 56%.

We’ll keep an eye out for more news this week but don’t expect the change to happen overnight. Automakers will probably fight to get a significant cushion of a few years before this would be implemented in every vehicle that rolls off the assembly line.

[Stability Control Could Become Required on Autos, USA Today]