What Car? reveals the life-saving feature that costs just £200

What price your family’s safety? What Car? today launches its campaign to fit life-saving stability control systems (often referred to as ESP – Electronic Stability Programs) costing as little as £200, as standard on every new car.

Stability control uses clever electronics and a car’s braking system to prevent skids during emergency manoeuvres. Research has proved that these set-ups can reduce road deaths by 30%. With almost 3000 people dying on UK roads each year, such systems could save 1000 lives in the next year and 10,000 over the next 10 years.

These stability control units are widely available and are sometimes called DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) or VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) by car makers and can cost consumers around £500 from the options list.

What Car? group editor Steve Fowler said: ‘Stability control systems are as important to driver and passenger safety as seatbelts are, yet they only tend to be fitted as standard to more expensive cars.

‘When consumers have to pay up to £500 it’s often ignored in favour of upgraded car entertainment kit. If car manufacturers fitted ESP as standard, it would only add on average £200 to the forecourt price of a new vehicle – a small price to save a life’.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has revealed that only 5% of British drivers know what stability control systems are capable of.