Launched this year by the eSafetyAware partnership, whose members include several European FIA clubs, the ‘Choose ESC!’ campaign is chaired by the FIA Foundation.

ESC, which is widely recognised as the most important safety device since the seatbelt, helps drivers keep control of their cars when skidding. But take up of ESC across the EU has so far been disappointing with fewer that 50 per cent of new cars using the system. The European Commission is now moving on the issue insisting ESC should be on all new cars in the EU by 2012. The new policy should help the EU catch up with the US which has already decided to make ESC mandatory on all new cars by the 2012 date.

Meanwhile at a global level work has been progressing on ESC. The United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is working on a Global Technical Regulation for ESC. This will define standards for testing and implementing the technology and could provide the basis for global use of ESC on all new cars worldwide by 2012. 

Speaking at the recent Intelligent Cars Conference in Versailles, European Commissioner Viviane Reding insisted that Europeans should “benefit from these winning technologies sooner rather than later."

Also speaking in Versailles, FIA Foundation Director General David Ward said it is important that ESC is made as widely available as possible. "There are still too many deaths on our roads and we are at risk of missing the EU target to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2010.  It cannot be right that ESC is still not available on all new cars. We want the car manufacturers to make ESC available in all models in all markets."

At the Versailles event the European Commission launched a consultation on ESC in order to speed up availability of the technology across all classes of cars and consider reaching agreement on mandatory use for new cars in the EU by 2011.