Auto stability control mandatory in 2011

[Grunter]

Making electronic stability control mandatory in all new Australian motor vehicles is the most critical road safety measure since compulsory seat belts, the federal government says.

The new measure could have the ability to reduce the chance of a fatal accident by 25 per cent, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said.

From 2011 all new vehicles will be fitted with electronic stability control while models presently on the market will have a further two years to install the technology.

The mandatory laws will apply to all new models of cars, passenger vans and off-road vehicles.

"This will save lives, full stop," Mr Albanese told reporters as he made the announcement on Tuesday.

"This is the most critical measure that we've taken on road safety since mandating seatbelts since the 1970s."

The ESC technology is a computer-based system that helps drivers maintain control of vehicles in dangerous conditions including wet weather.

General Motors Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mark Reuss, who accompanied the minister, said his company had introduced the technology five years ago.

"We've seen a 30 per cent drop in our insurance claim business ... so we know that this has had a big effect on safety," he told AAP.

But it wasn't clear whether the new technology could potentially put insurers out of business.

"It's bad for business, but I guess I'll take that trade off any day," Mr Reuss said.

The Australian Automobile Association, in welcoming the announcement, said it had been advocating the measure.

"We of course would like it tomorrow," executive director Mike Harris said, adding the association supported a uniform introduction across the nation.

Research released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows that 65.6 per cent of new passenger cars and sport utility vehicles have been fitted with ESC so far this year, an increase of 12.1 per cent from 12 months ago.

"By the end of the year it is likely to be fitted to more than seven out of 10 new vehicles," chamber chief executive Andrew McKellar said.

Source: ninemsn

[Grunter]

Go better!

[vztrt]

Car advice article.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/33443/go...ory-from-2011/

The Australian Government has finally bitten the bullet on the life-saving Electronic Stability Control (ESC) technology, announcing that it will become part of the Australian Design Rules (ADR) from 2011.

Holden, whose Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss, is also the current President of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry (FCAI) has been quick to support the move.

In a statement Holden said it welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to introduce a new ADR making ESC, originally developed by Mercedes-Benz, mandatory on all new passenger cars and SUVs.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Anthony Albanese, announced today in Canberra the new regulation would come into effect from 2011.

Speaking at the event, Mr Reuss praised the Government’s decision to introduce a standardised national approach to vehicle safety rather than allowing a state-by-state roll out to occur.

“Mainstreaming ESC technology in passenger cars and SUVs will save lives – it is as simple as that,” Mr Reuss said.

“This new regulation supports what Holden is already committed to achieving – that every next generation Holden, including light commercial vehicles, will have ESC as standard, if not already standard.

“ESC greatly improves vehicle safety performance and is probably the most significant advance in vehicle safety since seatbelts were made compulsory in the early 1970s.

“ESC is all about avoiding crashes – fitting ESC as standard is absolutely the right thing to do for all motorists.”

Holden has equipped its entire range of locally built vehicles with the acclaimed safety technology as standard, including the Holden Ute.



ESC is widely acclaimed because it helps drivers avoid crashes where emergency action has been taken, rather than focusing on minimising harm if they do crash. International studies have suggested that ESC can prevent more than 30 per cent of single vehicle accidents.

ESC greatly improves vehicle safety performance in situations where the driver takes emergency action to avoid a collision. It does this by electronically correcting vehicle paths through individually applying brakes to each wheel and managing engine torque.

[colossus]

should be sooner!

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by colossus

should be sooner!

If the government was serious about safety they would be introducing minimum ANCAP ratings for cars...or at the least their fleet cars. But we can't annoy our overseas friends.

[seXCmont]

still what about all the older cars out there? probably wont see the results their after till after a few years. not everyone can afford a new car.

[vztrt]

Go Auto Article

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2575DE0007488B

Canberra makes ESC mandatory

Industry welcomes legislation requiring all new cars to be fitted with ESC by 2013

By DAVID HASSALL 23 June 2009

ELECTRONIC stability control (ESC) will be mandatory on all new-model passenger vehicles introduced from November 2011.

From November 2013, all new passenger vehicles sold in Australia regardless of when they were introduced will be required to be fitted with the proven life-saving technology.

However, some road safety campaigners are disturbed that light commercial vehicles such as the top-selling Toyota HiLux are not covered by the new legislation.

Legislation mandating ESC had been expected by the industry for a year, but details were only yesterday (Tuesday) confirmed when it was signed into law by federal transport minister Anthony Albanese.

“The new regulations mandating ESC brings Australia into line with international standards,” said Mr Albanese in a statement.

“In fact, we are fully phasing in ESC one year ahead of Europe.

“Research both here and overseas has found this innovative technology has the potential to save lives and make our roads significantly safer. Research undertaken for the British government found vehicles equipped with ESC are 25 per cent less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those without it.”

Two-thirds of all new cars and SUVs sold in Australia are already fitted with ESC, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. This is up from about 20 per cent in June 2006.

ESC is a computer-based system that helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles, particularly in adverse conditions such as wet weather. It continuously monitors a vehicle’s speed, steering wheel angle, direction of travel and cornering acceleration, automatically applying individual brakes if there is a risk of skidding.

Speaking at the announcement in Canberra, FCAI president Mark Reuss, who is also the chairman and managing director of GM-Holden, praised the government for introducing a standardised national approach to vehicle safety rather than allowing a state by state rollout to occur.

“Mainstreaming ESC technology in passenger cars and SUVs will save lives – it is as simple as that,” said Mr Reuss.

“ESC greatly improves vehicle safety performance and is probably the most significant advance in vehicle safety since seatbelts were made compulsory in the early 1970s.

“ESC is all about avoiding crashes – fitting ESC as standard is absolutely the right thing to do for all motorists.”

Mr Reuss said that Holden was already committed to fitting ESC to every next-generation Holden, including its Colorado and Commodore Ute light commercial vehicles. It is already standard on 80 per cent of all Holdens sold this year.

FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said the industry supported the government legislation and already offered ESC on most models.

“Manufacturers and motorists have moved quickly to embrace this lifesaving technology, and by the end of the year it is likely to be fitted to more than seven out of 10 new vehicles,” he said.

“ESC offers significant safety benefits and the industry has worked cooperatively with the federal government to ensure that this technology becomes available on all new vehicles as soon as possible.”

Further support for the new legislation came from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which has been promoting mandatory ESC for a couple of years.

“This is good news for Australian motorists and their families,” said ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh. “It will cut crashes, save lives and reduce the tremendous social and personal cost of road trauma.

“Since 2008 ANCAP’s crash testing program stipulates any new vehicle needs ESC to gain a top five-star rating.

“Research overseas and here in Australia at the Monash University Accident Research Centre shows clearly that ESC does make a difference and can reduce some types of crashes by some 25 per cent or more.

“Given road trauma costs Australia around $17 billion a year, the faster uptake of ESC will obviously mean great savings for the Australian economy and the community.”

[vztrt]

Utes will not be required to have DSC/ESP/ESC.

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...rticleID=63873

ESC to be compulsory, but not for utes

Jaedene Hudson, drive.com.au, June 23, 2009

Some of Australia's best selling vehicles won't be required to fit stability control - a life-saving crash avoidance technology - following new Government regulations aimed at passenger cars and 4WDs.

Almost one in five new vehicles sold in Australia have been left out of a major road safety initiative designed to reduce single-vehicle crashes by up to 30 per cent and save up to 128 lives a year.

Driver of utes and commercial vans – many of which seat up to five people – will not benefit from a new Australian Design Rule, announced this morning by the Federal Government, making it compulsory for all new passenger vehicles and four-wheel-drives to have an electronic stability control system by 2011 (existing cars must have the feature by 2013).

Electronic stability control is an advanced crash avoidance technology that can automatically control a skid. It has been credited with saving lives and reducing single-vehicle crashes by up to 30 per cent.

However, ESC is not readily available on commercial vehicles, many of which are increasing in popularity. The Toyota Hilux ute was the best selling vehicle in April 2008 and is the third best selling vehicle this year. Of the 352,376 new vehicles sold in the first five months of 2009, 55,863 are utes and 8344 commercial vans.

Robert McDonald, head of research for the NRMA Insurance, says a lack of scrutiny means car makers have not been forced to upgrade ute equipment.

“If ever a car needs stability control it’s a [ute],” said McDonald. “Unladen in the wet, they are a handful.

“(Commercial vehicles) are at least 10 years behind passenger cars in terms of crash safety. Delivery van drivers and ute drivers are more exposed on the roads and for longer periods. When considering the natural odds, they are more likely to have a severe crash.”

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries defended the Government’s decision not to mandate ESC on utes and other light commercial vehicles.

“Obviously there is an agenda there to bring light commercial vehicles into the equation,” said McKellar. “The industry needs to address that … and that process in under way.”

However, he said there were various “technical and engineering challenges” that would make it more difficult.

“For many of those light commercial vehicles it depends on the body configuration you place on the vehicle. If you’ve got a tray back you’ve got to configure it for that.”

In the meantime, he said he was comfortable that the new regulations were well targeted.

“It focussed on the area where there is the greatest safety dividend - passengers cars and SUVs.”

The world’s leading independent crash test authority, the New Car Assessment Program, has been critical of the safety in many commercial vehicles.

Its Australasian arm, ANCAP, recently raised concerns for the safety of commercial vehicle drivers after the Nissan Urvan commercial van in New Zealand scored the lowest rating for crash safety - one star.

ANCAP chair Lauchlan McIntosh said while commercial vehicle safety is improving it still lags well behind passenger cars.

“Owners, drivers and particularly large fleet operators should be mindful of the safety of these vehicles provide for drivers and passengers," said Mr McIntosh.

In a bid to encourage car makers to make the technology available on all new cars sold NCAP in Europe made it impossible for cars to gain the maximum five-star crash rating if ESC was not fitted in November 2008. ANCAP followed suit in January 2009.

Despite an increasing trend to use utes as dual purpose work and recreational vehicles, commercial vehicle drivers regularly miss out on safety items that are readily available on passenger cars.

While the Holden Commodore ute gets standard stability control, side or curtain airbags are not available.

In the new Ford Falcon ute, curtain airbags cost another $600 despite being fitted standard to all Falcon sedans, and stability control is only fitted to selected models.

Dual-cab utes (with five seats) more commonly being used as family cars and recreational vehicles.

The FCAI said about 60 per cent of all new passenger cars and 80 per cent of soft roaders are already equipped with stability control so a rollout by all makers for 2011 is now more achievable.

Despite being one of the few car makers to still sell a passenger car without anti-lock brakes (ABS) - one of the earliest electronic handling aids - Holden has praised the Government's move.

“Mainstreaming ESC technology in passenger cars and SUVs will save lives - it is as simple as that,” Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss said.

“This new regulation supports what Holden is already committed to achieving - that every next generation Holden, including light commercial vehicles, will have ESC as standard, if not already standard.

“ESC greatly improves vehicle safety performance and is probably the most significant advance in vehicle safety since seatbelts were made compulsory in the early 1970s.”

Most new passenger cars priced over $25,000 are now fitted with stability control as standard, with many more affordable models offering it as an option.

ESC has the potential to make some new cars more expensive, but the popularity of the system has now made it as cheap as a few hundred dollars.

[Buzz Box]

Isn't this the new thing they have been flogging on the radio and TV laterly?

(Those new TAC ads with the ABC guy)

[Nikked]

Learn to drive!

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Learn to drive!

Yep...you gotit in one!

[Mongoose]

Ok, so all new cars will have it, but will you be able to turn it off? (like you can in most of euro/jap cars)

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Ok, so all new cars will have it, but will you be able to turn it off? (like you can in most of euro/jap cars)

press a button as you do now.

[Jim83]

Sounds like a terrible idea to me. The last thing I need is a computer telling me what I can and can't do in my own car. ABS is bad enough.

[zetec]

Only going to be a matter of time before some hero in his E Series on Super Lows starts complaining about how he doesn't want his super race car driver skills controlled by a computer.

I've been driving cars for years with DSC fitted standard or optional. All able to be switched off and all incredibly fun to drive. DSC saved my **** when I was 21 and probably that of my passenger mate.

It only needs to save your life once to be worthwhile. This is a pointless argument from all the heroes. It's a no brainer.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by zetec

Only going to be a matter of time before some hero in his E Series on Super Lows starts complaining about how he doesn't want his super race car driver skills controlled by a computer.

I've been driving cars for years with DSC fitted standard or optional. All able to be switched off and all incredibly fun to drive. DSC saved my **** when I was 21 and probably that of my passenger mate.

It only needs to save your life once to be worthwhile. This is a pointless argument from all the heroes. It's a no brainer.

If it saves my *** from some moron losing control into me then I'm happy.

[zetec]

Originally Posted by vztrt

If it saves my *** from some moron losing control into me then I'm happy.

I've read on here of someone in a Focus 3 or 4 years ago getting t-boned by another car and the DSC in his Focus detecting the sudden lateral acceleration and keeping the car level and stopping it from spinning after he kept rolling through the intersection. And he was the one hit out of the blue, he wasn't doing anything stupid.

That may not only have helped him,. but stopped him spinning into another car potentially.

Genius system.

[Bad Bird]

Good idea, because most people are morons and don't know how to drive.

[greenfoam]

My wife came across a blind over the crest style T interestion in her new fiesta out in the bush recently (I was half asleep in the passenger seat). Pulling a almost full lock 90 degree turn about 12 meters away from a gravel/tree/fence with all 4 wheels gently screeching at 90km/h was a sight for sleepy eyes I can tell you she's no race driver but the car stayed perfectly stable and straight. Very happy she has that in the car otherwise it was a long walk to the nearest farmhouse that day, possibly with a sore face from the 50 air bags in the thing

[Burnout]

Originally Posted by greenfoam

My wife came across a blind over the crest style T interestion in her new fiesta out in the bush recently (I was half asleep in the passenger seat). Pulling a almost full lock 90 degree turn about 12 meters away from a gravel/tree/fence with all 4 wheels gently screeching at 90km/h was a sight for sleepy eyes I can tell you she's no race driver but the car stayed perfectly stable and straight. Very happy she has that in the car otherwise it was a long walk to the nearest farmhouse that day, possibly with a sore face from the 50 air bags in the thing

The classic argument for DSC a front wheel drive car out of control on a country road.

[Keepleft]

This is happening because the VICTORIAN government FIRST signaled its intention to create these as state-based laws, >>> for the the purposes of registration & saleability in that state.

Credit therefore goes to Pallas, for using 'states rights', to now effectively improve the national requirements at ADR level.

[mik]

its probably a good thing but i can`t help thinking they are actually going to be taking our driving skills away in one sense, what will happen when mrs bloggs living in ballarat known for slippery roads for example car is in the shop getting work done and loaner is an early model with out all the new gadgets.

[EDManual]

On dirt roads it really takes alot of the speed and fun out of driving . EBD ABS send you off in funny directions when you try to do interesting flicks (it especially likes to send you straight), so either you get used to using no brakes in your setup for corners, or you pull fuses, which I do. :-) And I would certainly be pulling fuses on any stability control let me tell you!!

It is also a way to make cars cheaper and dynamically worse as the electronics hide the rest of the cars abilities.

If I was to like a car in the future, it would have to be built and tuned without these electronic aids first, then have them tuned in later.

[Keepleft]

Yayup, I recall an Audi with a "TC OFF" switch!

You watch ED, within a year or so after 2010/11 - they'll pass law prohibiting you from removing or willfully disrupting ADR complianced driving aids.

Guarantee it.

Actually; if an ADR complianced function is defeated, then the car is defectable, mutter mutter..... well mebbe so under NVS (post ADR process).... mutter mutter . . . mmmmm

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Yayup, I recall an Audi with a "TC OFF" switch!

You watch ED, within a year or so after 2010/11 - they'll pass law prohibiting you from removing or willfully disrupting ADR complianced driving aids.

Guarantee it.

Actually; if an ADR's complianced function is defeated, then the cars defectable, mutter mutter..... well mebbe so under NVS (post ADR process).... mutter mutter . . .

That means the car manufactures will design the cars so if you disable an aid the car wont work. The europeans already do this.

Eg take out the DSC fuse and disable the fuel pump.

[Rev28K]

I dont like the phrasing of this measure. A lot of the small "specials" builders that I like (Elfin, PRB, Joss, Robnell, etc) can't afford to get this done. I'd like to see it where any company that sells 25-50 vehicles a year doesn't have to comply.

[Streets]

Originally Posted by article

ESC is widely acclaimed because it helps drivers avoid crashes where emergency action has been taken, rather than focusing on minimising harm if they do crash.

To all the Dick Johnsons in this thread, if you feel you can sense a loss of control the microsecond it happens and then immediately decide and act on a corrective action, please do turn ESC off and go hard son. But when you write yourselves off, please do it against a tree or a light pole or something and don't take anyone else with you. Ta.

[zetec]

And second to Streets, Dick Johnsons may also want to drive a car built after the 20th century that's equipped with DSC and discover that in most cases, to activate the DSC you actually have to be pushing WAY beyond what most punters will ever do on a public road.

Great news, there's a manufacturer that tunes its sportier models with a far more forgiving DSC system, to suit what the intended driver would probably prefer. Hint: They have a Blue Oval...

[vztrt]

Engineers urge mandatory ESC on commercial vehicles

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2575EE0007A7E2

Engineers urge mandatory ESC on commercial vehicles

SA-E calls on government to include commercials in mandatory ESC laws

By TERRY MARTIN 13 July 2009

THE Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-E) has called on the federal government to broaden forthcoming legislation mandating the fitment of electronic stability control (ESC) to include commercial vehicles.

Transport minister Anthony Albanese last month signed into law new regulations requiring ESC to be fitted to all new passenger cars and SUVs from November 2011, while models currently on the market will have a further two years to install the potentially life-saving technology.

However, commercial vehicles including volume-selling utilities – one of which, the Toyota HiLux, was the biggest-selling vehicle in Australia last month – will be exempt from the laws.

While the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has defended the decision not to mandate ESC on commercial vehicles, the SA-E believes the new legislation “fails to protect workers and their families by not mandating ESC technology for passenger-carrying commercial vehicles”.

SA-E executive director Max Chanter told GoAuto this week that the government had taken the right direction in mandating ESC for passenger cars, but said the SA-E failed to understand how Canberra could have overlooked commercial vehicles.

“We’re starting to lead the way with this particular legislation, but why stop about two thirds of the way through? Why not go the full distance?” Mr Chanter asked.

“There are an awful lot of vans and utes around these days that don’t have the same facilities and the same (driving) characteristics as a sedan does, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t have the same ‘responsibilities’.

“I’m not privy to why they (the government) didn’t go for the whole spectrum, but let’s assume, firstly, that nobody thought about including utes and vans – there’s always that possibility. The next thing, of course, is always going to be cost.

“Vans and utes are typically classified as a ‘tradesman’s vehicle’ if you like. And we wonder whether it might have been a bit of an oversight.”

The SA-E’s response comes after the first Chinese brand to be sold in Australia – Great Wall Motors – launched the budget-oriented SA220 and V240 dual-cab utilities late last month. Priced from $19,990, the SA220 includes leather trim and a host of other creature comforts but fails to offer airbags, ABS brakes or a high-mounted rear stop light, let alone ESC.

In a statement released last week, the SA-E said: “Some imported commercial vehicles include luxury fittings, such as air-conditioning, alloy wheels, electric windows and leather trim as standard, while key safety devices airbags, ABS brakes and a single-mounted high stop light are optional, or as in the case of a recently released imported vehicle, not available at all.

“As a minimum, SAE-A wants airbags and ABS to be fitted to vehicles sold in Australia today. Given the worldwide availability of these technologies at competitive prices, the society says it is difficult to imagine why any new vehicle would be allowed on the Australian market in 2009 without these features.

“The SAE-A encourages all vehicle importers and fleet operators to take responsibility as corporate citizens to have a duty of care to the drivers and passengers in their vehicles. This would require them to make no compromise on the safety specification of their vehicles.”

Mr Chanter said the trend could create two classes of vehicle – ones that are deemed safe, and others that have safety equipment missing in order to have a lower price point.

“We would not get involved in saying anything about a new product that’s coming out,” he told GoAuto. “But at the same time one would think that anybody who was going to use the vehicle for anything other than the purposes of delivering things, would think to themselves, ‘Well, maybe I should get a little bit more safety in this for my family’.”

Mr Chanter said the society was also concerned that some vehicles were marketed on the basis that “safety features are merely options, like leather upholstery or satellite-navigation” and that this meant buyers were either forced to purchase a vehicle without safety options or wait several months for a “special order” vehicle to be delivered.

The Mitsubishi Triton, for example, is one of the few workhorse utes to offer side and curtain airbags. However, as GoAuto has learned, a Triton customer who recently asked for the equipment was told that it would require a special order at the Thailand factory and delay delivery by at least 12 weeks.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of ESC, the federal government has quoted from British research that found vehicles equipped with the technology were 25 per cent less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those without it.

GoAuto contacted Mr Albanese’s office for comment, but the minister was unavailable.

[vztrt]

Re-think on compulsory ESC for LCVs

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2575F90018B231

Re-think on compulsory ESC for LCVs

Albanese reviews decision not to include utes, vans in new ESC laws

By TERRY MARTIN 20 July 2009

FEDERAL transport minister Anthony Albanese is reviewing the case for making electronic stability control (ESC) mandatory on commercial vehicles after calls for the federal government to broaden forthcoming legislation for passenger cars and SUVs to include workhorses such as utilities and vans.

As GoAuto reported last week, the Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A) became the latest motoring organisation to urge Mr Albanese to include commercial vehicles in new regulations requiring ESC to be fitted to all new passenger cars and SUVs sold from November 2011. The NRMA and other road safety campaigners have also called for commercial vehicles to be included in the new laws, which will be extended in November 2013 to include all passenger/SUV models on the market.

In response, a spokesperson for the transport minister has told GoAuto: “The minister has asked his department to review the case for mandating ESC in commercial vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes. Over coming months, industry and other stakeholders will be consulted as part of this process.”

According to the government, the Australian regulations will phase-in ESC a year ahead of Europe. It said the case for mandating ESC – which has the potential to reduce a motorist’s chance of being involved in a fatal accident by 25 per cent – was established through public consultations that accompanied the release in November last year of a ‘regulatory impact statement for the control of vehicle stability’.

The consultative process involved government, industry, employee and consumer representatives. It followed Australia’s vote at the United Nations in June 2008, along with other members of the ‘World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Standards’, to adopt a new UN global technical regulation on ESC.

“We are adopting a United Nations set standard, which was set for these (types of) vehicles,” Mr Albanese’s spokesperson said. “The timetable that we are adopting is similar to the United States, and is similar to Europe except in one example where Europe has deviated by delaying its introduction by 12 months in terms of existing models of cars.

“What we have said regarding utes and light commercials is that the department will do some more work in terms of investigating the options around them.

“But we’ve got to maintain our consistency with what is happening internationally on these issues.”

The spokesperson said the government was taking a consistent approach with other regions – particularly Europe, the US and Japan – because the vast majority of new vehicles sold in Australia are imported.