WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it would require automakers to install electronic stability control systems in all vehicles by the 2012-model year, calling it safety technology on par with seatbelts and airbags, reports the Detroit Free Press. Insurance representatives say the current phase-in over four years — requiring 30 percent of vehicles to have electronic stability control by the 2009-model year, 60 percent by 2010, and 90 percent by 2011 — is too slow. Only about 29 percent of vehicles sold today have standard or optional electronic stability control. While NHTSA estimates that automakers had planned to put them in 71 percent of their vehicles by the 2010-model year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said NHTSA should use a more aggressive timeline, saying its research shows electronic stability control reduces single-vehicle crashes by 40 percent and fatal crashes by 56 percent.
NHTSA Urged to Fast Track Stability Control Technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it would require automakers to install electronic stability control systems in all vehicles by the 2012-model year, calling it safety technology on par with seatbelts and airbags.
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