After the seatbelt, ESP is the car’s most important safety system. According to studies, it can prevent up to 80% of skidding accidents. A detailed analysis of the comprehensive German In-depth Accident Study’s (GIDAS) database shows that in 2011, 540 lives were saved in Germany alone as a result of ESP.

The firm says that ESP is fast becoming a standard feature, across the globe. In Europe, it has been mandatory for all vehicles that have received type approval since October 2011. From November 2014, ESP will no longer be optional in the EU: it will become standard equipment in all newly registered vehicles. Even today, 78% of all newly produced passenger cars and light trucks in Europe are equipped with ESP. The system is also already mandatory for all vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes in the United States. It is also mandatory in Australia and Israel. In Japan, Korea, Russia, and Turkey, regulations will come into force within the next few years. Around the world, 55% of all passenger cars and light trucks are currently equipped with ESP. Even in China, almost a quarter of new passenger cars rolling off the assembly lines feature the system.

Bosch also highlighted how future assistance systems are based on ESP. The firm is developing functions that automatically maintain the distance to the vehicle ahead, manoeuvre vehicles into the tightest of parking spots, and warn drivers in good time in critical situations whilst autonomous driving developments are also on the cards. All of these functions have one thing in common: they brake without the driver’s intervention, based on the use of ESP.