ESC Standard Proposed for Heavy Trucks And Buses to Reduce Rollovers, Crashes

Federal regulators proposed a new rule May 16 that would require electronic stability control (ESC) systems in most heavy vehicles.

ESC systems could annually prevent up to approximately 2,300 crashes, prevent up to 858 injuries, and save up to 60 lives, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates.

NHTSA gauges the total cost at about $113.6 million annually, and says the benefits outweigh the costs.

The standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 136, would apply to truck tractors and certain buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 26,000 pounds. It would apply only to new vehicles and ...