Stability Control, Are You Equipped?

Joe Friscone and his wife, Jan, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, were headed to the hair salon they own one early winter morning in 1999 when they hit black ice on the Ohio Turnpike.

Their then-new 1999 Nissan Pathfinder spun twice, rolled down a hill and flipped 2 1/2 times, landing on its roof.

Jan Friscone lost consciousness and was airlifted to the Cleveland Clinic, where she stayed in intensive care for weeks being treated for head trauma and crushed vertebrae, injuries that more than seven years later still cause her pain. Joe Friscone broke an arm and ribs.

"For the first time in my life, being a typical cocky male driver, having driven sports cars in Ohio where it snows, I had never lost control of the car. But when it went into the spin, nothing I did could stop it," he said.
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bigslick83 - 9/28/2006 4:03:59 PM

+1 Boost

not all esp is created equally. for example the main contributing factors are ABS, traction control, steering monitoring.

some abs dont have emergancy brake assist.
some traction control systems are only low speed traction control.
some steering monitors have yaw control and lateral sensors, some dont.
other brands go further with their esp/esc with g-force and inertia sensors, as well as rollover resistance in one form or another.

their should be a list of what all the car companies esp systems contain.

mstangpny07 - 9/28/2006 8:06:07 PM

+1 Boost

ESP WILL be standard on EVERY U.S.CAR AND TRUCK BY 2012. That bill was just passes by the United States Congress. That means they all must have ABS.

vdiv - 9/29/2006 3:51:16 PM

+1 Boost

No stability control or other electronic baby-sitter will save us from idiot drivers. In fact they make us lazy as we no longer know how to or have experience in handling the vehicle in emergency. We're basically screwed. Say your prayers every time before you start that engine.

2JZSoarer - 9/30/2006 2:07:33 AM

+1 Boost

Thats what happends when you buy a Ford or Chevy!!

2JZSoarer - 9/30/2006 2:08:23 AM

+1 Boost

Oh yeah and Nissan!!