Today Chrysler announced that ESP, otherwise known as the Electronic Stability Program will be available on all SUV models by the end of 2006.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler Group today announced that it has produced more than 1.2 million vehicles with its Electronic Stability Program (ESP) since 2004. By the end of 2006, ESP will be standard equipment on all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® brand sport-utility vehicles and will be standard or available on over 70 percent of Chrysler Group models. This is one of the many technologies Chrysler Group uses to enhance driver control.
DaimlerChrysler’s Mercedes-Benz invented ESP and was the first company to equip vehicles with the technology in 1995. The Chrysler Group first offered ESP on the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum in 2004.
“At the Chrysler Group, we design stability and handling capability into all of our vehicles,” said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President, Chrysler Group Product Development. “Moving forward, we’ll expand availability of ESP and offer additional features utilizing this technology.”
Electronic Stability Program enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability under all conditions. It provides the greatest benefit in critical driving situations, such as turns, and is especially valuable when driving on slippery surface conditions, such as patchy snow, ice or gravel. If there’s a discernible difference between what the driver asks through the steering and the vehicle’s path, ESP applies selective braking and throttle input to put the car back onto the driver’s intended path. The system is calibrated to offer safe control of the vehicle under a variety of conditions, and to operate in a manner that is not intrusive in normal or spirited driving.
Electronic Stability Program is standard or available on the 2006 Chrysler 300 and Crossfire; Dodge Charger, Durango, Magnum and Sprinter; and Jeep Commander, Grand Cherokee and Liberty. Additionally, Chrysler Group will offer ESP on the 2007 Chrysler Aspen; Dodge Caliber and Nitro; and Jeep Compass, Patriot and Wrangler as well as on other vehicles to be announced at a later date.
Today seemed to be a major day for the announcements of SUVs and electronic stability. A major study was published today touting the usage of electronic stability and the safety inherent in the applications of such.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that crash deaths on American roads could be reduced by one third if all vehicles were equipped with the Electronic Stability Control.
About 34,000 people are killed in auto crashes in the United States each year.
A comparison of rates of fatal crashes for vehicles that were identical except for the inclusion of electronic stability control, the Institute said, reveals that the vehicles with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) were 43 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
If all vehicles were equipped with the technology, instead of the current 25 percent, the Institute estimates that as many as 10,000 fatal accidents could be prevented each year.
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